The Inconvenient and Unexpected Journey of Millie Fournier
by agent-of-fear
Summary: Millie is completely ignorant to the world of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, thinks Kili is one dreamy Dwarf, and is completely incompetent. So what happens when she gets thrown into the journey with thirteen Dwarves, a Hobbit, and a Wizard? This is Millie's inconvenient and unexpected story. KILI/OC Inspired by The Awkward Adventures of Meghan Whimblesby by februarysong.
1. Alexandria Millicent Fournier

My name is Alexandria Millicent Fournier, though you may call me Millie. I never really liked the idea of being called Alex, or Lex, or anything like that. Millie sounds nicer, and perhaps more feminine. It makes my name sound far more simpler than it actually is. I know it's not exactly original - you know, _a teenage girl who hates her name. _Shocker.

But who the hell names their kid _that. _I mean, _Millicent? _Possibly the most grandma-sounding name _ever. _

But hey, my mum was French, and the French are mental. They love their long, _French _sounding names. That's why my last name is Fournier. It doesn't mean _beautiful rose _or anything like that. I think it means _baker, _or _oven. _I know, how exotic and _exciting. _

I should probably get on with the story, now that you name my name, and that I am half French. Or I was, I don't really know what happened to my English/French heritage once I came here and I- no, we'll get onto that. First you need to know what my story is about. I suppose I'm taking a leaf out Bilbo's book, by writing about the journey - the _adventure._

I'm giving away too much. We'll introduce Bilbo later, once more of my story has been told. I need to start from the beginning again, introduce myself properly, you know?

My name is Alexandria Millicent Fournier, but please, call me Millie. Perhaps you know my name, perhaps you have heard whispers of me. Even if you have heard of me, you will not know my story as entirely as I do. Only a few others know where I come from, for it is a secret that I shall not tell to those that I do not trust. It would have caused alarm, had I ever told it to the wrong person.

It was easier to tell only a few, and let everyone else think that I was simply _strange. _Now though, I will write it. My secret, my story, will be on paper, and I will pass it along. _  
_

When my story began, I was nineteen years old.

* * *

'You are a pain in the _ass, _Alexandria,' yelped my mother. The statement (insult) made by her only sounded more _dramatic _in her thick, French accent. Despite having lived in the United Kingdom for nearly twenty years, her accent was still strongly apparent. I doubt it will ever leave her. She would not be my mother without it.

'I resent that comment,' I stated simply, and pushed past her, missing the glass that I had accidentally knocked off of the counter. It now lay on the floor in pieces. 'You'll have to clean it up, mother dearest. _I _have to be at school'. My mother, with her short black hair, sent me a furious glare and waved me away, to which I simply smiled, threw my bag onto my shoulders, and turned on my heel and out of the room.

That was the last time I ever saw my mother. No last words, nothing that would indicate my abrupt departure. How could we have known what would happen to me, that I would never touch or talk to her again?

That day had started normally, as it always would have. I attended a University in my town, in the East of England. It was a modest University, nothing special, like Oxford, say. I studied Textiles at a degree level, and despite studying it and being quite good at it, I wasn't passionate about it. I didn't dress with quirkiness, it just wasn't me. It was easier to do something that I knew I was good at, rather than something I enjoyed. It was sad, but true.

I _had_ planned on going travelling before University, but my complete lack of money had destroyed that dream. I'd always wanted to go Australia, America, or New Zealand.

That morning was different from other mornings. Normally, I would walk out of my house that I shared with my mother and father, I would make my way down the pathway, past the cat that hissed at me with disdain, cross the road, and then wait patiently at the bus stop opposite my house. From there, I would catch a bus to my University to go to my lecture of that day, then come straight home, and carry on with any work that I had. I might even meet up with my friends and get blindingly drunk.

Every story needs a beginning, and this is mine. Things never go well in the beginning, and I suppose that is why things went so horribly wrong in mine. That day, as I crossed the road, I forgot to stop, look and listen. I would _always _stop, look and listen. Perhaps something was _pulling _me toward that car. It wasn't going fast, or driving erratically, the whole accident was my fault, and mine alone. The car didn't hit me though, mind you. I was walking across the road, saw the car driving toward me, and I panicked, therefore falling backwards onto the pavement and smacking my head on the curb.

I guess that this is what happened, anyway. I just remember stumbling backwards and then falling, so hitting my head seems like I reasonable explanation as to why I fainted. How cliche.

The one thing that I remember of that morning, is how fast everything happened. I had woken up late, so time with my mother had been short. I'd dressed quickly, so my attire consisted of jeans, a shirt and a hoody. I had not seen my father, as he had left for work before I had woken up. I never got to say _goodbye_. My world was torn away from be so quickly, that I never really got to appreciate everyday, mundane things like a electricity, roads or normal, _human _people.

Nor my height. That's something that I'll always miss.

When I landed from my fall, I did not land on concrete, but on dirt and grass. As well as that, the sound of cars was gone too. I didn't really wake up, either, I just sort of opened my eyes, and stared at the blue sky above me, and the canopy of trees that shielded the sun from my eyes. It's kind of a blur, because my mind was in overdrive and I'm _pretty _sure I was having either a heart attack, or a panic attack. Or both. Because as I sat up, I was greeted by the outline of a tree inhabited wood (obviously), and a dirt road.

So, you know, understandably...I kind of yelped, stumbled to my feet and just _stared, _I guess.

I remember being scared, but my fear only multiplied upon hearing humming coming from behind me. I remember turning, and I remember seeing an elderly looking man, with a long grey beard, and identical hair. His head was bowed, and most of his face was covered by the long, pointed hat that he wore. His frame seemed even larger, covered by the grey, baggy robes. I guess it's kind of stupid now, but at the time I'd assumed I'd been transported into the world of Harry Potter. I'd never been a fan, but heck, this guy _looked _like Dumbledore at the time.

I called out to him then, my hands fiddling with the sleeve of my hoody, which seemed longer than I remembered it being. 'Hello?'

Tall-Old-Guy stopped humming and looked up quickly, and it was only then that I noticed the long staff that he clutched onto. Tall-Old-Guy tilted his head, and stopped about five feet in front of me, considering my form. I'd never seen someone who was that much taller than me, and it startled me a little.

'What is a she-dwarf doing this far out into the wild? The road can be a dangerous place, my dear,' he mused, bringing his staff forward and resting both hands on the end. Tall-Old-Guy had nice blue eyes that I guess I trusted, but you've always got to be wary of any stranger you find, especially after being thrown from one place to another. I was still in shock about that whole _scenario. _It then registered what he had said, and I'd blanched a little.

'I get that you're tall, dude, but there's no need to call me a _dwarf._ I mean, I'm average sized, you're the one who's, like, _tall_,'I retorted, adjusting the strap of my bag. For some reason, it dragged heavily against the floor, when once it would have reached my hip. Looking down, I saw that my jeans were too long for me too, as well as everything else that I wore. _Well, that's a little odd, admittedly. _

He'd sent me a near baffled look, and looked at me kindly. 'Or perhaps you are an especially short Woman?'

I had never been so confused. 'Well, if we're going into the basics, then yeah, I guess I'm a short woman...' Tall-Old-Guy was being really weird, and all I wanted to do was get him to tell me where I was, and why the hell he was so tall. Because _seriously, _the guy was _huge._

But then again, my clothes _had _shrunk.

Tall-Old-Guy seemed to be waiting for me to say something, so I blurted out. 'I'm Millie'.

Tall-Old-Guy replied with, 'A pleasure, my lady. I am Gandalf the Grey'.

I paused, opened my mouth, stared, and continued to pause. I think something registered then. The guy that _looked _like a wizard, me being in a wood, me shrinking, Tall-Old-Guy thinking that I was a Dwarf. 'Holy guacamole'. _Gandalf _tilted his head yet again, and his bushy brows rose into his hairline. He was waiting for me again. 'Where are we?' I squeaked.

I'd never been a _fan, _why did this _happen _to me? I'd never seen seen all of the _films, _let alone read the books. And didn't a new one come out recently? Oh _God, _what the _hell _was going on?

Gandalf smiled brightly. 'Why, you are just outside of Bree, quite near The Shire, I believe'. Despite my disinterest in anything Lord of the Rings, I _knew _of the The Shire. It was the place where the little people lived, with curly hair and big feet. That guy lived there, the one with the big blue eyes and _really _nice skin. Oh god, I didn't know his name. I'd jokingly - and frequently - refer to him as Brodo- _Frodo! _That was the guys name! Was Gandalf going to see him?

'I'm pretty sure I'm hallucinating right now,' I declared, gazing up at this Gandalf. He looked at me in mild interest, his head tilting even more. Seriously, he was going to get a crick in his neck if he continued doing that.

'Are you really?' replied Gandalf.

I nodded firmly, pursing my lips. 'I must be, yes. That's the only reasonable explanation,' I told him. 'Because if this is real, then it means I've-' _Lie_. 'I've been sent back in time,' I finished lamely. Heck, that was more of a believable explanation, better than _I've been transported into a fictional world, _anyway.

'Well,' sighed Gandalf, pulling away from his staff. 'You're having a far more interesting day than I am, in that case'. He peered at me. 'Judging my your, may I say, _odd _attire, your accent, and your complete bafflement at being here, I can conclude that I believe your far-fetched story, despite the many faults in it. Please, follow me to The Shire, and tell me your story, Lady Millie. I could not live with myself if I left you out here alone'.

I considered this, then nodded. What the hell else did I have to do? I was lucky that fuzz-face here believed me. If he hadn't, I would have been _super _screwed. I was still partially freaking out at how tall he was, and how baggy my clothes had become. Before walking, I'd had to roll up the ends of my jeans, tuck in my shirt, roll up the sleeves of my hoody, and shorten the length of my bag.

Gandalf was the first of the few people who I told my story. He was a likable man, and that made it easier to tell him of what had happened to me, but instead of saying 'car', I simply said 'vehicle'. No point in explaining battery powered devises to the..._wizard. _

'Gandalf?' I asked, pushing my sleeve further up my arm. 'When you first saw me, you called me 'dwarf'...what did you mean by that? I think I know, but that's kind of-' I struggled for a phrase. 'Messed up,' I settled with.

Gandalf paused, and then said, 'from your time, are there races of Men, Dwarves, Elves and Hobbits?' I shook my head with a stubbornly confused expression. 'Well then, that explains your complete loss of knowledge of your _own _race. How tall were you in feet?' I paused, then shrugged and said something along the lines of 5'6. 'Then I can only assume you were of the race of Men. Lady Millie, my dear, in this time, it would seem you are of the race of Dwarves'.

Embarrassingly, this is when I started crying.

My throat tightened, my eyes welled up, and I pursed my mouth stubbornly. I _hated _crying in front of people, it made me feel silly and childish and weak. 'Nobody wants to be a _Dwarf!' _I yelped, scaring away from birds in a neighboring tree. 'Why couldn't I be a _human, _or just not _come here at all!' _I was having a tantrum, and I knew it. But I was frustrated - how would you feel, after being thrown somewhere that should not exist?

Gandalf whacked me firmly around the head with his staff. I looked at him, mouth agape, but he simply straightened up and coughed lightly. 'I understand that there are some parts of your story that you are failing to tell me, because if you had been 'sent back in time', then you would at least know of the races of your history. You would also know that Dwarves are a respectable, honorable bunch, my dear'.

He'd been right, of course. And soon, I would know that.

After much whining from me, and Gandalf comforting me with stern words, we carried along on the road. Gandalf explained briefly to me where he was going (The Shire), and that he was meeting a band of friends who were also on their way to a 'Hobbit Hole' located in The Shire. The Hobbit who lived in the Hobbit Hole was named Bilbo Baggins, and once Gandalf told me this, I yelped an 'Oh!'

'Is there something wrong?' inquired Gandalf.

I paused, then shook my head, deciding not to tell him anything. I knew that name. And I also knew what film story I was acting along in. The newest one, the one that I knew (quite literally) _nothing _about. I didn't know how it ended, how it began, or who featured in it, or the book. All I knew was that Gandalf was in it, and so was Bilbo Baggins.

Bro- Frodo's dad or Uncle or something.

Jesus.

'Why do you think I'm a _Dwarf_?' I inquired after fifteen minutes of silence. Gandalf grumbled out of his musings and glanced to the right, at me. 'I mean, I could have just stayed human- _Man, _whatever. But why a Dwarf?'

Gandalf was silent for a moment. 'It amuses me,' he said. 'How you ask of that, but not _why _you were sent here. Perhaps it is the will of the Valar that brought you here,' he paused, then peered, then continued to stare at the road ahead. Around us, winding fields had begun to appear. I'd admired the beauty while Gandalf spoke.

'We all have a kind of destiny, I believe. Or even multiple destinies. Perhaps this is the form you would have been born into, had you been born and raised in Middle Earth'. _Middle Earth, right. _'I have been debating asking you this question, Lady Millie, and I have now decided, upon hearing your story, that I will ask it'. His tone had suddenly taken on a business-like air. 'I will talk it through with my companions, but how would you feel about accompanying me on the quest I have mentioned to you?'

That morning I had been late for University, now I was being invited on a quest.

Huh.

'A quest'.

Gandalf nodded. 'Indeed. I will accompany thirteen Dwarves - and hopefully a Hobbit - to the Misty Mountains, where they will reclaim their Dwarven Kingdom under the Lonely Mountain'.

I'd blinked at him, nodding slowly. 'I just understood, like, twenty-five percent of what you just said. Reclaim it from _who?'_

Gandalf puffed out his cheeks lightly, stalled, then said, 'his name is Smaug, though I suppose it would be proper to refer to him as a _what _rather than a _who. _Do not be alarmed, my dear, but Smaug is, in fact, a dragon. Judging my your reaction, I can suppose that dragons are not a common thing where (or when) you are from,' he added.

I had wiped the startled expression from my face, replacing it with a defeated one. 'I don't know what I expected, honestly'.

Gandalf smiled and waved his staff. 'That is the spirit! I cannot guarantee your safety, remember, and I will have to tell Thorin that I will take full responsibility if anything-' he caught my eye. 'If anything may happen to you,' he carried on, tone lighter. 'Not that anything will. We will be accompanied by many fine, warrior Dwarves'.

'Thirteen, right?'

'Indeed, thirteen. Fili, Kili, Oin, Gloin, Dwalin, Balin, Bifur, Bofur, Bombur, Dori, Nori, and Ori, and the leader of the company, Thorin Oakenshield'.

I looked at him, then ahead of me, trying hard to retain as much information as I could. 'That's a mouthful,' I piped up, rubbing my chin. 'They're all Dwarves, like...like me?'

Gandalf nodded, his face softening. 'Yes, although I must warn you, they will not be as believing as I have been. Dwarves, although honorable, are a sturdy and stubborn lot. Because of the few Dwarven women that exist, they are kept away in the mountains where Dwarves reside. I must say...' Gandalf trailed off. 'If it were not for your height and your average sized feet, I would suppose you a Hobbit, Lady Millie'.

I would later learn that Gandalf was right. Although my hair was thicker than before, my height shorter, my ears a little bigger (but not comically so) and my whole form more sturdy, I was different from other Dwarven women. To this day, I blame it on the fact that at heart, I am still a human.

I said yes, if you're wondering. Somehow, I could not turn down the offer that Gandalf had given me. It was unexpected, yes. All of this was, but I couldn't give up what had been offered to me. An adventure, an opportunity to live the life that others would die for. I'd seen the online fandoms, and holy hell, some people really _would _die to be in my position.

So, that's when it all began. It began with a question, and an answer.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it! If you would drop me a review, I would very much appreciate it. I know that Dwarven women are meant to be hairy and deep voiced, but in the film they're portrayed as short women, so I'm going with that one, sorry. I've given her Dwarf traits though, such as a sturdier build, the ears, the thicker hair and, obviously, the height.**

**This chapter was to get the feel of Millie being in Middle Earth. I mentioned it briefly, but she's writing the story as Bilbo did, like a book. I just wanted to clarify that! **

**Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Ding Dong

The first of my problems arose when I realized how impractical the clothes, and shoes, that I wore were. My clothes, as I have mentioned, were far too big for me, and my shoes were for fashion rather than for walking a long way, so soon they ached.

I didn't want to whine about it though, not after my embarrassing crying fit earlier.

So, I marched on, keeping with Gandalf and wincing every time the back of my foot rubbed against the back of my shoe. After about an hour of my silent weeping, Gandalf said, 'we'll be there soon, my dear, and when we arrive at Mr Baggins house, we can then nurse your aching feet. We may also have to ask the Hobbit for something else for you to wear. I suppose you do not mind wearing male clothing?'

I remember sending him a dry, moody look. 'Does it look like I care about what I wear? I just want something that isn't falling down all the time'. At that precise moment, I tripped over the unrolled end of my jeans, and yelped. 'I'll take _anything,' _I snapped, bending down to roll it back up. My sleeve then sagged over my hand, and I was sure I was going to start crying again. Breathing deeply, I said calmly, 'have you met this Bilbo Baggins before now?'

Upon standing, Gandalf smiled brightly at me, and we continued on our way. 'I have, actually. Quite recently. A stubborn Hobbit he is, but I know that the Took blood in him will prevail. I do not doubt that he will eventually decide to join us on the quest'.

I nearly rolled my eyes, but decided against it. 'So he hasn't said that he will go?'

Gandalf considered the question. 'Not exactly,' he said gruffly. 'Now, my dear, do you have any experience with any kind of weaponry?' I shook my head. 'Are you any good at combat of any sort?' I shook my head. 'Do you have skills that will persuade Thorin in agreeing to let you join the company?' Once again, I shook my head meekly.

'I'm starting to doubt my earlier comment about the Valar bringing you here,' he muttered. I didn't know who the _hell _these 'Valar' were, so I let the comment slide. 'Can you think of nothing?'

I looked out into the fields around us, spotting a house among a field of corn. It was the first sign of life, other than Gandalf, that I had seen so far. 'I can sow,' I shrugged. 'I could fix clothing, or whatever. I'm an alright cook. I could do simple things that nobody wants to do'. I stopped. 'Basically, I'm offering to do everything that a _woman _should do,' I stated sardonically.

Gandalf tapped me with his staff. 'You are offering to do things that will _help _the quest. I am sure Thorin will appreciate your offers'.

'He better,' I half-grumbled. 'I proper C-B-A with all of this shazzam, you get me?' I glanced up to find Gandalf turning away from me with a curiously bemused look. 'I speak in the language of my people,' I stated, holding up my hand and spreading my fingers. 'Live long and prosper, Gandalf. Live long and prosper'.

'You too, my dear,' he muttered.

I hid my cackle behind my hand. Despite the fact that Gandalf had said we would be arriving at this Bilbo's, er, _Hobbit Hole_ (I was curious to see what the Hole was like, honestly) I grew bored quite quickly. 'Would you like to hear a joke?' I asked the wizard, pushing my sleeve up my arm. 'I know some top notch, _classic_ jokes'.

Gandalf hummed an absent 'yes'.

'Good choice,' I told him. 'Right. Why don't _dogs _make good _dancers?'_

'I haven't the slightest idea why dogs do not make good dancers,' replied Gandalf, puffing on a pipe that he had pulled from within his robes. He turned to look at me, smiling lightly. 'Why?'

'Because they have two left feet!' I revealed. Gandalf simply shook his head, and laughed out a sigh. 'I thought that was quite a good one. How much longer, Gandalf? I'm pretty sure my feet are about to kill themselves out of pure misery. Seriously, this Bilbo better have some shoes that I can wear'.

Gandalf chuckled. 'You'd better stop hoping now. Hobbits do not wear shoes, for their feet are so hardened and large that they do not need them. They walk around barefoot all of their lives'.

I wrinkled my nose, the idea seeming ludicrous. '_Ew_. That's rank'.

'To some, your own ideas of normality may seem completely baffling. To them, walking barefoot is natural for a Hobbit,' he pointed out.

I considered his statement, and nodded. 'Sometimes I eat spoonfuls of caster sugar when I don't want to sleep,' I said, relating to the Hobbits in the only way that I could. 'Do you reckon Bilbo will have food? I'm _hungry, _all this talk of caster sugar has got my belly ah-rumbling'.

'I am positive that Bilbo Baggins will have food'.

It didn't take us much longer after that to reach Bilbo Baggins Hobbit Hole (I've got to stop saying that). By then, the sky had darkened to a purple colour, and the winding pathways that led around hills, all leading to round doors, were deserted. Small lights dotted around the village-type place, and I instantly fell in love with the simple beauty of Hobbiton. It reminded me of Wales, with all of the rolling, green grass and the smell of the outdoors.

Gandalf gave me a small speech as we made our way past many, of what I presume, were Hobbit Holes. 'If they ask where you are from, I will answer for you. Hopefully you will be able to change into something...else before many of them arrive, though I suppose they have gathered quite quickly. Try not to talk to them much, not until everything is settled'.

I was mildly offended. 'Are you _denying _me of _friends, _Gandalf?' I asked dramatically. The old wizard regarded me with a tired look, but it was quickly wiped away by a shout behind us.

'Gandalf!'

The shout startled me so much that I spun around and tripped on my baggy-legged jeans, I grasped wildly for Gandalf and, thankfully, he quickly caught me. 'Gee whiz, thanks,' I gasped, edging away from the hill that I had nearly toppled down. Drunk, it may have been fun. Sober? Not so much. I spied out who had shouted, and saw around seven or eight men (my size!) walking up the path behind us.

'They're very hairy,' I said quietly, stepping back as Gandalf greeted the Dwarf men with large smiles and open arms. It was nice, to see someone my size. It made me feel almost normal once again. They _were _hairy though. Each had a different beard or mustache from the other, and each had long, braided hair. _I understand now, Dwarves are weed-smoking hippies. _

All were short, yet all had a variety of very thought-out hairstyles, creative clothes and booming, happy voices. Hell, no _wonder _there were so few Dwarf women. They probably _hid. _

'May I introduce to you, my dear fellows, my companion,' with that, Gandalf grasped my shoulder and pulled me forward. I smiled brightly at the men in front of me, aware of my jeans that were starting to unroll at the hems. 'Mi-'

'Alexandria Millicent Fournier,' I stated brightly, shoving my hand forward. I'm not sure which one of them took it, but now that I think about it, it might have been Bofur. I shook the hand and pulled away. 'But please, call me Millie'. _That should be my catchphrase. The name's Fournier, Millie Fournier. Oh God, I never said that, how tacky. _

'She is a friend from a far away place, with a story that I am sure all of you will want to know,' said Gandalf, nudging me to the side. 'But first, we must join the rest of our companions'.

'A Dwarven woman travelling with Gandalf the Grey,' said a Dwarf from the mass of short men. 'A story that we most_ definitely _will want to know, I'm sure!' They all seemed to agree with this, and I bit back a smile. _Look at me, all popular in a fictional world. _'Show us the way Gandalf, where is this Hobbit Hole?'

Gandalf, the sneaky bugger, flourished (so pansy) his staff to the side, and pointed to a hobbit hole that we all stood directly in front of. 'I marked it earlier myself,' said the wizard proudly. It was then that I saw the strange looking mark on the door, and understood how all of the other Dwarves were managing to find this place.

'Pretty sneaky, Gandizzle'.

I received some odd looks, but Gandalf just smiled and said, 'Thank you, my dear'.

The Dwarves bustled forward excitedly, pressing themselves against the door as Gandalf pushed his staff through them and banged it on the large, round door. Hell, I was just excited to see what the inside of a Hobbit Hole looked like. Was it all dirty and everything, with rooms that had been dug into?

I couldn't have been more wrong.

A Hobbit opened the door. I guessed he was a Hobbit, anyway. He was smaller than the Dwarves, smaller than _me_. He had curly hair and pointed ears, but his miffed off looking face was lost in the amused tears that quickly gathered in my eyes. For one the Hobbit opened the door, all of the Dwarves fell forward, grumbling at each other.

'Oh my God,' I sputtered. '_Ha!'_

Gandalf knocked me with his staff, and I stopped laughing immediately. He crouched down to peer through the now open, round door hole, and caught the eyes of the baffled looking Hobbit. A look of understand dawned on his face as he looked at the guilty looking wizard.

'Hello!' I said, stepping ungracefully over the Dwarves who were stumbling to their feet. 'I'm Alexandria Millicent Fournier,' I said, sticking out my hand for him to shake. He looked baffled once again, and I realized that my sleeve had fallen over my hand. 'Er, yes, my clothes are a _little _too big for me. Anyway-' _catchphrase time. _'Call me Mill-'

One of the Dwarves, as he climbed to his feet, caught my ankle as his foot slid across the floor, which only resulted in me stumbling to the side and banging against the wall beside me. 'Ow! _Dude,' _I whined, ignoring his yelps of '_I am terribly sorry!' _I turned back to the Hobbit, who looked physically pained at the Dwarves, who were scratching at his floor and tumbling to their feet and down the hall.

'Call me _Millie,' _I stressed. I stepped further into the Hole. The others were shouting further in, new voices joining in. _More of them. _I spun around to face the Hobbit, watching as Gandalf ducked through the hole behind him. '_You _must be Bilbo-'

'_Food_!'

The shout tore me from my polite introductions. 'I-I'm sorry, but you know, _food'. _With that, I practically slid across the floor, with my jeans tucked beneath my feet. They created a faster walk, I'm telling you.

The kitchen was in _anarchy_.

They just ate, and ate, and _ate. _They pulled plates from the shelves, mugs of alcohol appeared out of nowhere, jam was spooned into waiting mouths, whole plates of chicken were eaten by one person. Bilbo stumbled into the room, looking outraged. '_Put that back!' _he ordered to deaf ears. I stood beside him, caught his eye, and shrugged.

'Can I have a bread roll please?' I asked tentatively.

Bilbo held up a hand, closed his eyes tightly and whispered, 'just _go'._

A large man with a particularly impressive braid-necklace-thing going on walked past me, holding three wheels of very large cheese. I was stumped for a moment, wondering both _how_ he carried the cheese, and _how_ he planned to eat it. Bilbo's comment about a cheese knife caused me to snort with laughter. I turned away from the man, searching the shelves for any sign of bread.

Gandalf reached up past me, still ducking, and grabbed a brown bread roll from the shelf and handed it to me. I smiled gratefully and bit into it. It tasted more natural and _grainy _than any other bread that I'd had before. That was the first thing that I ever ate in Middle Earth. It is odd, because I still remember the exact taste and texture of that bread roll.

I just really like food.

Gandalf pushed a chair into the back of my legs, and I fell into it, wondering why I felt so giddy. The wizard prepared the food beside me, placing this and that onto separate plates, while the Dwarf men shouted and ate all around us, ignoring Bilbo's attempts and reprimanding them.

A Dwarf with grey hair pushed past my chair, leaned over, introduced himself as Dori, and offered me a cup of chamomile tea. Despite hating tea, I accepted graciously, the smile on my face even starting to freak me out. With my bread and my tea, I was as happy as could be. I just realized that rhymed, and it was in fact not intentional.

I looked around me, watching the Dwarves who sat at the table, who rummaged through cupboards, who wandered around the halls and back into the kitchen. Bilbo was fretting, and Gandalf was muttering about red wine. I feared that I was still in shock, but why wonder why I am here, when I _am here? _I do not know this story, but I do know that I may as well get along with it.

_That's_ when I saw him.

He was hauling a beer barrel into the kitchen, with a Dwarf who I now know to be his brother hauling the other end. The one thought that ran through my mind as I brought the tea cup up to my lips was, quite simply: _ding dong, who is _that?'

Then my mind rang with alarmed thoughts of how bloody hot the tea was. It splashed over the side of the cup and onto the table as I shoved it away from my burning mouth, glaring at the Dwarf opposite me who laughed and bit into the cheese wedge in front of him. His expression quickly sobered as he caught my look.

'Apologies, Miss,' he said, voice soft and light.

I smiled at him, brighter than before, startling him a little. He was smaller than the rest of them, and more childish looking, with simply features and a surprisingly smooth face. I decided then that I liked him. 'Call me Millie,' I requested.

The Dwarf smiled. 'Ori,' he said politely.

Quite soon, all of the Dwarves were surrounding the table. It was quite alarming at first, having them throw food about and catch it in their mouths with such skill, and even more alarming when they all introduced themselves to me. When they said their names, it was like one, long rhyme. Gandalf sat beside me, and when asked who I was, he said, 'Miss Millie is a Dwarf woman who is foreign to Middle Earth, and will hopefully accompany us on our journey'.

At first, they had been drunkenly baffled by a _woman _accompanying them, but were silenced by my glare and Gandalf's stern words. If anything, they seemed more curious as to _why _I was a _female _Dwarf_. _

'I was..born this way?' I answered lamely.

They accepted this also.

I was in Middle Earth, eating alongside Dwarves.

'What I want to know,' bellowed a Dwarf known as Fili. 'Is why Little Miss Mystery of there is wearing clothing ten sizes too big for her!' They all shouted in agreement. They shouted about anything, really. It was quite alarming.

I paused, then shrugged pathetically, to which most of them seemed to find hilarious. I _liked _it here. Everybody thought I was downright _funny. _

After a moment of staring at the Dwarves around me, I spied out the good looking one, the _stunning _one. Kili, I think his name was. Judging by who he was sitting next to, and their likeness in names, I could only assume that Kili and Fili were brothers. Pretty good gene pool, I must say. But Kili...he had brown hair, brown eyes - just a nice face, really_. _I don't really know how else to say that he was good looking, without sounding like I'm in _Fifty Shades of Grey. _

Fili jumped from his seat and stomped across the table, two pints in his grasp. I laughed and pulled my tea away from his approaching feet, while someone threw food into the awaiting mouth of Bombur, who caught it with a happy smile. The table practically exploded, and I was forced to bang my fragile teacup against the pitchers of ale.

Then they began drinking, and silence fell for around ten seconds. Then the burps began. Surprisingly, the polite and quiet Ori was the loudest of them all, and _longest. _For a moment, I honestly thought he was possessed, and that some demonic voice was going erupt out of him.

One of the Dwarves said, 'there is a Lady present, lads!'

I was laughing too hard to see who. Once again, they found this equally as funny at the burping contest.

They began dispersing again, and I pulled away from table, approaching the wandering Gandalf. He bowed his head to hear what I was saying, and I'm pretty sure the red wine had gotten to him. 'Do you reckon I could get those clothes now?' I asked.

* * *

**Next chapter things will get going, and Millie will actually talk to Kili! I hope you liked this chapter, and thank you for the reviews and favorites! **


	3. Of Bearded Ladies

They'd started _singing _by this point into the night.

Admittedly, I was actually quite impressed at how they all managed to stay so in tune, and know the words to a song that they'd probably never sung before. Or maybe they had. Either way, making a song up about blunting knives was, in itself, pretty creative. Even the banging of said knives against the table created a rhythm to the song.

I can still remember it today. Every word, ever beat, every voice joining together.

_Blunt the knives and bend the forks!_  
_Smash the bottles and burn the corks!_  
_Chip the glasses and crack the plates!_  
_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates -_

_Cut the cloth and tread the fat!_  
_Leave the bones on the bedroom mat!_  
_Pour the milk on the pantry floor!_  
_Splash the wine on every door!_

_Dump the crocks in a boiling bowl;_  
_Pound them up with a thumping pole;_  
_And when you've finished, if any are whole,_  
_Send them down the hall to roll!_

_That's what Bilbo Baggins hates!_

At the time, I _had_ found them quite insane. I mean, bursting out into song, and knowing every word on the spot? Seemed a little bit _High School Musical _to me. About halfway through the song, I'd managed to get the beat, and clapped merrily from my spot behind Gandalf, who was sitting at the head of the table in front of me.

I now wore beige breaches and my own black shirt, which I'd tucked into the trousers. The breaches, apparently, had belonged to Bilbo's father, and he had given them to me with an almost pained expression.

I felt almost guilty, but upon finding that I could _walk, _I forgot any guilt that I once felt. My hoody was far too big for me, so that was laying on the back of a chair, which (hot damn) Kili the Dwarf occupied.

The Dwarves seemed perfectly content with throwing comments my way, or simply ignoring me. It felt odd, intruding on this gathering of friends, who were all very obviously fond of each other. Gandalf, bless him, tried to make me feel more comfortable by offering me food and pointing out the names of each Dwarf. I very nearly knew most of them by sight.

When the plates began flying around the room, I stepped further away from Gandalf as one narrowly missed my head, only to be caught my Fili, who laughed heartily at my startled look.

I was almost certain that these Dwarves were going to be the death of me. And here I was, planning to go on a _quest _with them. To kill a dragon.

_Well, slap me thrice and call me Daenerys._

A loud, echoing knock sounded at the door at that moment, and every single Dwarf in the room stopping singing, laughing, and throwing any plates. Bilbo looked a little relieved, yet a little scared at the same time.

'He's here,' said Gandalf quietly.

_Well, according to their shit-scared expressions, Darth Vader has come for a visit._

They moved so quickly that I was near _carried_ along with the company of Dwarves. Gandalf grabbed me by the shoulders and hurried me along into the hallway. 'Do not speak. Do not make eye contact. Just simply try to hide away until I am able to introduce you, Millie'.

I wrinkled my nose at him and stood obediently to the left of the door, behind three Dwarves who shuffled away to make space for me. 'Thanks,' I said dryly to Gandalf, but my comment was lost in the flurry of the door opening, and everyone's attention being focused on the male Dwarf who stood on the other side of it.

He was shorter than Gandalf, and despite the fact that he smiled at the wizard, I was instantly a little scared of Thorin Oakenshield. 'Gandalf,' he greeted, and stepped through the round doorway. The Dwarves each gave a little bow in turn. I gave a little spasm of a bow, completely baffled at what the _hell _I should do. 'I thought you said that this place would be easy to find,' said, who I had presumed, was Thorin. His voice was deep and scratchy. 'I lost my way - _twice,' _he informed us, ridding himself of his cloak.

He then mentioned the mark on the door, two which Bilbo took great offence, claiming that he had painted the door a week ago. To this day, I have _never _met anyone who was as house proud as Bilbo Baggins. He looked even more offended when Gandalf informed him that there was, indeed, a mark on the green, round door.

Gandalf then introduced Bilbo to Thorin, who stepped forward, studying the shorter man. 'So,' he said. 'This is the hobbit'. I let out a small squeak at that because, hey, I may not have been a fan, or seen the film, but it was the _title _of the film. You know, _The Hobbit? _Nifty.

I caught the eye of Kili, who stood opposite me, and ducked behind the Dwarf in front. Maybe I had squeaked a little louder than I realized.

The Dwarves all laughed at something Thorin said, and Bilbo looked mildly uncomfortable. Gandalf peered over the heads of the Dwarves, mid-laugh, and brightened even more once he caught my eyes. I began shaking my head at him, face a mask of horror, but he ignored my obvious message.

'And this,' he said, nodded at the Dwarves in front of me, who stepped aside and pushed me forward, 'is- what was it again, my dear?' _I loathe you, stupid Tall-Old-Guy. _

_'_Alexandria Millicent Fournier,' I said, avoiding eye contact with the powerful Dwarf in front of me, my cheeks heating up. Every eye was on me, and I was hyper aware of the fact that I looked like a _farmer_ in my current attire.

'Who prefers to be called Lady Millie!' boomed Gloin.

I shook my head. '_Just _Millie, thank you'. I looked up, putting on a brave face, and met the eyes of Thorin Oakenshield. 'Gandalf offered me a place on your quest,' I informed him nervously.

Thorin quirked a brow, then turned to Gandalf. 'A woman,' he stated blandly.

Anger flared up within me, and I ground my teeth, stepping forward once more. '_Evidently_,' I ground out. 'And I _am _standing directly in front of you, so you could at least _try _to hide your displeasure'. _Queen Millie the Sassy, at your service._

Gandalf looked physically pained.

Thorin turned back to me, looking mildly bemused. 'A woman with spirit,' he concluded, tilting his head. 'I expect nothing less from a woman of my own kin. Where do you hail from?' he questioned. All sass left me, and I stood, stumped at what to say.

'Er-'

Gandalf, slouching, stepped into my view. In that moment, I liked him once again. 'Millie is from a far away place, and is therefore unused to any of the customs of Middle Earth, and the Dwarven race. She has, though, offered to aid you on your quest to the Lonely Mountain'.

Thorin looked at me, hummed, and then turned away.

Well, alright then.

* * *

The next hour was filled with information, and Bilbo Baggins fainting from shock. I'd forgotten that he knew nearly nothing about the quest (and the dragon), so understandably he had been a little surprised.

On the other hand, _I _had no idea that I would be inheriting some of the gold that we would stumble upon - _if _we did. _Or _that Thorin was, in actual fact, a _king. _It seemed that Gandalf had failed to tell me quite a bit about the journey ahead.

Gandalf supported my case, once it was revealed that Bilbo was the 'burglar'. Something about him being the smallest and the quietest. According to Gandalf, I was a 'very experienced clothes maker' and 'I would make a great addition to the quest'. The Dwarves who saw my baffled look laughed into their pipes and ales.

'We have a wizard in our company!' said Kili, among the arguing of whether we would actually _be_ _able_ to defeat the dragon, Smaug. 'Gandalf will have killed _hundreds _of dragons in his time!'

I sent Gandalf a bemusedly interested look, to which he simply stumbled over his words. 'Uh, I- well, I wouldn't say _that-'_

They argued, Thorin had a bitch fit, I rubbed my forehead, the Dwarves looked ashamed. It was all very awkward, and I could not have felt more home sick. I miss my mother, my cat, my father, and my bed.

Plus, I still had not replaced my shoes, and my feet _ached. _

Gandalf then revealed a key, after Thorin gave a speech about 'reclaiming what was theirs' and the 'wealth of the Dwarves'. Honestly, I'd had nearly no idea what he was talking about, nor why everyone was cheering so much.

As Thorin held the key and looked a little bit like he was going to burst into tears, Fili said, quite dramatically, 'If there is a key...there must be a door'.

I was so tired and absentminded at that time, that I'd scoffed and muttered, 'why thank you, Master Obvious'. Dwarves stared, and I shrunk back. '...Sorry'.

'You will both sign the contract,' said Thorin, handing it to Bilbo. 'Meaning I will allow you to join us on this quest, Miss Fournier'. He was, possibly, the only person to have ever pronounced my surname correctly. 'I will not take any responsibility for any injuries you may acquire, or your fate. The same goes for you, Mister Baggins. You will both share the treasure that _would _have only been our burglars'.

I stood from my place, pushing past Gandalf, and stood next to Bilbo, who unfolded the long contract. I half-turned to see Thorin whispering to Gandalf, who looked mildly grim.

'-_Lacerations,' _said the Hobbit, louder than his other mutterings. I snorted grimly. '...Incineration?' he read.

He turned to look past me, to the dining table, where the Dwarves and Gandalf looked back. '_Incineration?' _he said again, face a mask of displeasure. I put my hands behind my back, and rocked on the heels of my feet. Big mistake, it _hurt. '_That's reassuring,' I said lightly. I was ignored.

'Oh, aye,' said Bofur. 'They'll melt the flesh off your bones in the blink of an eye'.

'Oh, _lovely_,' I'd piped in.

Bilbo opened his mouth and looked at me. I shrugged. He struggled for words and put his hands on his hips, leaning back and breathing out hard.

'Think furnace,' said Bofur, standing from his chair. 'With wings'.

I sent him a stale look and exclaimed, 'worst attempt at reassurance, _ever'. _He shrugged helplessly and peered back at the Hobbit, who I'm sure by this point was having some kind of fit. Even I'd handled the whole 'transportation into a fictional world' better than _this_. Bofur continued to talk about searing pain, and a peaceful end, while Bilbo straightened up, sighed...

...And then promptly fainted.

'That,' I pointed out. 'Was _your_ fault'.

'I was trying to make him feel better!' defended Bofur, ignoring the laughing Dwarves behind him. Poor Bilbo continued to lie on the floor, unconscious, while Gandalf lent over him.

'Badly,' I reminded him, to which he simply paused, and then shrugged.

* * *

Bilbo, in the end, chose not to join us on our journey. I was a little put out. Selfishly, I had wanted someone who was as coddled and useless as I was to go on this rough and dangerous quest. I foresaw images of me, sweating, panting and injured. _Not _very attractive.

I had sat in the hallway, my shoes pulled off and my back pressed against the curved wall behind me. I thought of my home, and whether time had simply stopped there, or whether I had disappeared from existence. If so, my mum was probably scared and crying, and my dad had most likely been called home from work. I wondered if I would see them again.

It was odd though. Part of me didn't want to leave _just _yet.

At that moment, two pairs of feet had appeared in front of me. Attached to those feet were, in fact, Kili and Fili. I'd stared up at them, aware of my bare feet, my messy hair and my complete inability to talk to people normally.

'Hello,' said Fili, smiling down at me. Dude had one funky mustache. I wondered whether he styled it every morning. I could never be bothered with doing anything with my dark hair. 'I am Fili'.

My eyes wandered to Kili, who introduced himself immediately after his brother. 'Kili,' he said brightly. Swoon.

And then, _word vomit. _'Your parents had one funny sense of humor'.

Thankfully, these Dwarves had the same sense of humor as me, for they both laughed heartily. Fili offered me his hand, and I took it gratefully, standing. 'We decided that since you will be accompanying us on this quest, then we may well introduce ourselves properly,' he explained, while I tried to hide my bare feet. He glanced down. 'You are not wearing any shoes,' he pointed out.

'Er, _no-'_

'Haven't you heard the lass complaining about her aching feet to that poor wizard?' called Balin from down the hall. He was sat opposite Thorin, who'd looked intently at me with his, er, _intense _blue eyes.

I looked back at them and shrugged, unable to fault what Balin had said.

'You're a rather odd looking she-dwarf,' said Kili. Such a _charmer_, he was. I had frowned heavily at him and crossed my arms. 'It's just...not _all_, but quite a few Dwarven women have beards, _and_ deep voices'. He'd paused. 'You're actually quite fair looking for a female of our kin'.

I had gaped at them. 'You're joking. _Beards?'_

Fili laughed outright at my expression of utter horror. 'We're a very hairy race, Miss Millie. Well, _most _of us are,' he said, eyes darting to his brother. I _had _noticed Kili's lack of beard and mustache. Instead, he had dark stubble and long hair. Kili glared at his brother, who hid a smile behind a cough.

Yum.

'I'm not going to start growing a beard, am I?' I asked, quite honestly _very _panicked. I rubbed my smooth, beardless cheeks, the thought of having thick hair there nearly bringing me to tears. 'Gandalf never told me _that-'_

Fili and Kili ignored my obvious distress, and jumped to a series of questions that they had obviously been _itching _to ask me.

'How much _do _you know about your own race?'

'Haven't you ever met other Dwarves before?'

'When did you meet Gandalf exactly?'

'Why were you wearing such odd clothes, before?'

I held my hands, shooing away their flow of questions. Despite their eagerness, I _liked _these two. They weren't overly serious, and it was easy to talk to them without feeling like I was being made fun of. Well, _kind _of. I'm pretty sure that they had said the beard comment to frighten me. 'Dudes,' I said. '_Calm'._

Kili blinked. 'What is a 'dudes', Miss Millie?'

For some reason, hearing him say the word brought an amused grin to my face. 'It's a term that you use for...I don't know, a friend, I guess'. With that, Fili placed a hand on my shoulder, smiled, and said,

'I am glad that you think we are 'dudes' then, Miss Millie'.

_Do. Not. Laugh._

'Same,' I chocked out, having a laugh trapped in my throat. 'Now, what were those earlier questions?'

And so, I answered as many questions as I could. Let me tell you, Kili and Fili were a curious pair, and they didn't look much older than I did. Perhaps in their mid-twenties. I couldn't tell. Oh, how wrong I had been.

I told them that I had never met a Dwarf before, until now. The story I made up was pretty impressive, actually. Vague, but impressive. I told them that I had met Gandalf recently, and that the clothes I wore were considered quite normal from where I was from. I also told them that I did not speak Dwarven, and that I had zero combat abilities.

'You can't really do much, can you?' stated Kili, to which is brother whacked him around the shoulder. They'd stopped referring to me as Miss Millie, as I had told them to either call me Millie, or nothing at all. Miss Millie made me sound like a _Disney _cartoon character.

Kili looked up suddenly, as did Fili. I realized what they were so interested in, as I heard humming coming from the other room. Kili smiled at me, looking childishly excited, and said, 'you're going to want to hear this, Millie. If you are to join us on this quest, you _must _know this song'.

'For once,' said Fili, leading us through to the dimly lit sitting room. 'He _is_ right'.

They _were_ right, in fact. The room was filled with the Dwarves, dimly lit by the fire and the few candles that were littered around the room. It seemed almost eerie in there, despite how lovely the Hobbit Hole was. Thorin stared into the fire, leaning against the wall, smoke drifting from his mouth, and dispersing softly in front of him.

Then he began to sing, as did the others. I sometimes think that it was this song that made me _want _to go on the quest. I _wanted _to save the Lonely Mountain, and to reclaim the home of these Dwarves. The song was so sad, so full of _want_. Their voices were deep and melodic, soothing any previous boisterous excitement.

_Far over the misty mountains cold._  
_To dungeons deep, and caverns old._  
_The pines were roaring on the height._  
_The winds were moaning in the night._  
_The fire was red, it flaming spread._  
_The trees like torches blazed with light._

I realized then, as I stood in the orange lit room, that tomorrow I would be going on an adventure with these men, who I scarcely knew. I would be going into the unknown and I was_ terrified. _

Rightly so, it would seem.

* * *

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	4. Old Men And Leather Boots

Thorin, at that point into the night, had began telling a story. I can't really remember what it was about, other than Dwarves and caves, or something of the sort. Gloin joined in at odd points into the story, his voice gruff and proud, although once I had heard him utter something along the lines of, 'sodding Elves and their witchcraft'.

I was sat to the back of the sitting room, on a stool that was pushed up against the wall. My feet were tucked beneath me, still sore, but slowly beginning to heal, thanks to the absence of my evil, cursed converse shoes.

There was a round of agreement from the Dwarves who sat in front of the fire, and then Thorin began another story, this one, apparently, to do with Orcs. _That _actually rang a bell. Orcs were the gross, weird looking creatures from the Lord of the Ring films, I was sure of it.

Yeah, I hoped _they _weren't going to pop up anytime soon. The dragon would be _quite _enough.

Bilbo had long ago retreated to the safety of his bedroom, so that left the Dwarves, Gandalf and myself to amuse ourselves. Obviously, the Dwarves had chosen story telling, while Gandalf was pottering around somewhere in the Hobbit Hole. I half hoped that he was cleaning up, because, _heck, _we _had _made a mess in the kitchen. Couldn't he just do a _Cillit Bang _type thing, being a wizard and all? You know, _Bang! And the dirt is gone!_

Probably not.

'He's told us this story before,' said a voice quietly, and, of course, I had jumped quite violently, having had my eyes shut and my head leaning against the wall behind me.

'You _scared _me!' I half-whispered to Kili, who now sat on the armchair opposite me, away from the other Dwarves. His dark eyed stare was, I don't know, _hard. _I suppose that's the only way I can describe it, to this day. A lovely stare it was, though. One that had me shifting and blushing. 'How long have you been sitting there?' I asked suspiciously. I was pretty that I'd begun slipping down the wall behind me with my eyes closed, and my mouth slowly falling open.

How attractive. Ugh.

Kili seemed oblivious to my embarrassment, and shrugged. 'Not long,' he told me, leaning back into his seat and kicking his feet onto the small table between us. I blinked at him, wondering what he had wanted.

'Thorin is my Uncle, did you know that?'

Vaguely, I did. 'Gandalf mentioned it briefly,' I admitted. The words settled in, and so did realization. 'Gosh, I guess that makes you, like, _royalty _then, doesn't it?'

He seemed to find my dumbstruck expression amusing, because his mouth twitched into a boyish grin that resembled his brothers quite well. 'Does that intimidate you, Miss Millie? From what I gathered, you're not one to be bothered by the status of others. Royalty, _especially_'.

A reference as to how I had out-sassed his Uncle earlier. Touche, Kili. Touche.

His eyes traveled downward, and once again I found one of the Oakenshield brothers looking at my bare feet with an amused look. 'You are still not wearing any shoes,' he pointed out, quirking a brow. His eyes flashed up to mine, and his smile grew. 'You _are _an odd one, Miss Millie'.

I tucked my feet further underneath my butt. 'Find me some shoes, and they won't be bare anymore,' I replied blandly.

He paused, looked, then shrugged. Half turning in his seat, he shouted toward the gathering of now talking and laughing Dwarves. 'Mister Dwalin!' _Oh, God no. _'I don't suppose you have a spare pair of leather boots in that knapsack of yours for Miss Millie here?' His voice was loud enough to silence most of the Dwarves, who all stared bemusedly at me from the other side of the room.

Then at my feet.

I tucked them so far beneath me that I nearly fell from my perch on the stool. 'Let the whole _world _know that I'm running around with bare feet, why don't you,' I'd hissed at Kili, who simply turned to laugh in my face, then back to Dwalin, easily catching the boots that the older Dwarf threw hazardously our way. Despite Kili's catch, I ducked and squeaked anyway.

'There you go!' said Kili, chucking the boots toward me. This time, I did not duck, which only resulted in me getting a face-full of dirty, leather boots.

'_Thank_ you,' I muttered, pulling my feet from beneath myself to yank the boots onto them. They were quite loose around my calves. 'I'm going to have to tighten them with string or something,' I mused. Then, 'I'll do it later. I'm too tired now'. With that, I let the boots drop onto the floor, and leaned against the wall, my back aching with stiffness.

Then I looked back up to find Kili continuing to stare at me.

'_What?'_

'You've caught my interest,' he mused, crossing his legs on the table. 'As you have with many of us. You are unlike any woman that I have encountered. How old are you, if I may ask?'

_Wow, change of subject much? _'I'm nineteen,' I'd told him. His eyebrows rose, and his mouth stretched into a wicked smile. 'Oh, what _now? _You don't look _much _older than me at all!'

'Brother!' shouted Kili, looking highly amused at my expense. 'Not only do we have a woman accompanying us on our quest, but a woman-_child'. _My mouth popped open, and I sat up in my stool, affronted. Fili glanced over, away from his conversation with Nori, looking almost _excited _to make fun of me once again. _Of course he does, I could _easily_ make fun of him. Who the hell braids their mustache?_

'Do we now?' he asked loudly, capturing the attention of almost every single other Dwarf. _I've known them for mere hours, yet I'm sure that they are hell bent on causing me as much pain as possible. _'And how many years is this woman-child you speak of?'_  
_

Kili practically _cackled._ 'Nineteen years, my brother!'

Nori laughed, 'but a _babe_!'

I look around at the snorting, amused faces. 'I don't _get _it!' I whined. 'I'm an _adult_'. More laughs. 'I _am_!' My voice, as it always did when I became distressed, went horribly high pitched by this point into my defensive speech. 'How old _are you_ then?'

Kili laughed out a, 'I am seventy-seven, Miss Millie'.

_Oh, hot damn._

I remember being both shocked and hysterically amused at the same time. 'You're _joking_,' I gasped out. 'You've _gotta _be joking. My _Granddad _isn't even that old, man! How long do you Dwarves _live_ for?'

I almost expected Kili to drop onto the floor and start complaining about hip problems and bad pensions.

The Dwarves were shaking their heads, half amused and half baffled at my lack of knowledge. Gandalf's voice then sounded behind me, 'I informed you of Millie's complete and utter ignorance to her own kin, did I not?' he said, his voice full of humor. He stood in the doorway, stooping away from the low ceiling. Low for him, anyway.

'I did know how honest you were being, Gandalf,' replied Thorin. Even _he _was kind of laughing at me. _Grumpy the Dwarf _was laughing at me, of _all_ people. 'And in reply to your earlier question, it is common for Dwarves to usually live to be two-hundred and fifty years old, Miss Fournier. Give or take a few years'. That earned a few more hearty chuckles.

My mouth was still gaping at the realization of how _old _the young-looking, attractive Kili was. 'Holy Hell, if _you're _seventy-seven, then I don't even want to _know _how old _Balin _is,' I uttered, referring to the heavily grey-haired Dwarf.

Word vomit strikes again.

The thirteen Dwarves boomed with laughter at my innocent statement, slapping the chuckling Balin on the back.

The now sobered Kili turned back to me, while Gandalf approached Thorin, who sat in front of the burning fire. Honestly, those two were always gossiping about _something. _'I think that Fili may have a spare cloak you could borrow for the journey ahead,' he informed me, halfway more serious than he had been before. 'You will need something other than what you are wearing, for when the weather grows cold,' he said, in reply to my confused look.

The guy could change subjects in the blink of an eye.

'Oh,' I said. 'Thanks'. A brief pause was followed, which was surprisingly comfortable. The tiredness that I had been feeling before slowly begun to creep up on me again, taking a toll on the strength of my already drooping eyelids. That, and the warmth of the room had made me very sleepy indeed.

'I'm gonna have to conk out- er, _go to sleep_ in a minute,' I told Kili through a yawn, who snapped out of whatever daydream he had been having. His sharp eyes were on me in a second, all serious all of a sudden. He stood from his place on the armchair.

'You cannot sleep on that stool, Miss Millie, you'll bend your back in all the wrong directions. Take the armchair before one of the other Dwarves does,' he explained, referring to the chair that he had just vacated himself from.

For a moment, I was surprised. One moment he would be laughing outright at me, and then the next he was being, well,_ like this_. I half smiled at him, then snorted in a very unladylike manner. 'How _gallant_ of you, Kili'. With that, I stepped across the coffee table, out of my seat, and into the comfy, warm armchair. I sunk deeply into it, curly my legs to my side and resting my head on one of the arms. I cracked open an eye, glaring up at the Dwarf. 'And quit calling me _Miss _Millie, I've _told_ you'.

He grinned down at me. 'As you wish, _Millie'._

I closed my eyes once again. 'Thank you. Now, I don't normally tell people this - not that you'll have any idea what I'm on about - but back home I'd usually play an Audio CD of _Winnie the Pooh Adventures_ to help me get to sleep. Obviously, I do not have access to such things here. How'd you feel about talking me to sleep, Kili old pal?'

A pause, then the sound of the stool opposite me scraping lightly across the floor. 'Would you like a tale of the Dwarves?' he asked, his voice gruff, with that accent that sounded a little like home. I hummed a yes, and a 'go on then,' to which Kili replied with, 'as you wish, _my Lady. _Now, some say that the Dwarves were created by Aulë, though we refer to him as _Mahal, _which just means 'maker'. He wanted to teach his craftsmanship to someone, so he made the first Dwarves-'

By that point, I was fast asleep, dreaming of dragons, country roads, and beards.

* * *

The morning of the departure, I actually acted with common sense for once. I found upon a sewing kit in my bag and sewed said bag so that it reached the correct length for my new height. As well as this, I emptied out the Uni book that I would, obviously, no longer be needing. I kept the various sewing needles and threads, a pen, a small notepad, a pack of gum and a pot of Vaseline, though. The out of battery phone found itself on top of a desk, along with my book.

And, may I say, this was before anyone else had even awoken.

I, myself, had woken up with a cloak over my shoulders (I had a feeling it was the one that Kili had told me about), and a crick in my neck from sleeping in a bent position. Then again, if I had slept on the stool, I would have been in much more pain. On top of that, I had _dribbled _onto Bilbo's armchair. Let's hope Kili had decided to go to bed before witnessing _that._

On top of sorting out my bag, I'd found a length of string that I'd cut and used to tie around the top of the leather boots that Dwalin had kindly given me (and by kindly, I mean thrown in my general direction). This took all of fifteen minutes, so I had stood in the middle of Bilbo's Hobbit Hole (oh my _God), _with my now - vaguely - fitted boots, and my bag hanging from a coat hanger.

Well.

You know those moments in someones story, when they do something that's so random, yet it's one of those iconic moments that's just _known _within the story. Bilbo has one of those, from the same tale as mine, but I will not tell you what.

I don't want to ruin the ending.

Anyway, one of mine was when I decided to quietly step though the Hobbit Hole doorway, leaving behind the snoring Dwarves, who were scattered around the sitting room, and the various other rooms in the house. From where I had woken up, I had seen Dwalin, Balin, Oin and Gloin all snoring heavily from their places on the sofa, and on the floor.

What I saw, from stepping through the door, was that The Shire was beautiful.

The hills rolled out in all directions, with the sun peaking over the green. Hobbit Holes were dotted about all of the hills, and fields were seen in the near distance. The air smelled of farm, grass and wheat.

It reminded me of home. Of the English countryside.

I'd found myself sitting on a bench in Bilbo's small front garden, staring out into the distance and struggling not to fall asleep yet again. The cloak that I had woken up in was fastened around me, although the air was quite cool and without chill.

'My nephews have been looking for you'.

My meaningful, dramatic stare into the distance was broken quite suddenly, and I turned accusingly to face the dark Thorin Oakenshield. He'd stood in the open doorway, his gaze fixed on the rising sun. He wore all of the gear that he had taken off the night previously. Upon finding my stare on him, he continued,

'All of my company seem to think that although you will not be a _worthy _addition to our group-'

_To put it lightly._

'They made it known that they approve of you'.

I realized then, that he wanted me to say something. 'Well,' I said. '_Gee_. Thanks'. It came out much more wooden sounding than I had anticipated. 'What about you?' I asked boldly. Or stupidly. Same thing.

Thorin studied me with his blue eyes, and then said, honestly, 'I think that you have much to prove. Although admittedly, like Mr Baggins, you have worth'. He turned away from me, and faced the doorway. 'Come. Bombur has prepared a meal before the journey ahead, and you will want to eat much before we leave. I suppose that you have a pack ready?'

'Yep'.

'Good. You will take turns in riding with my nephews. Firstly, because they have sturdier ponies, and secondly - as I have said - they have taken a liking to you and have offered to help with the fact that we are one pony short'. The '_I honestly can't see why' _rung in the air behind his words, and I hid an eye roll and an amused smile. Part of me was sure that Thorin had a pretty sturdy pony that he just didn't want to share.

I just reread that, and _oh, dear Lord._

'I'm just a likable person, I guess,' I muttered, following Thorin into the Hobbit's home. Unlike when I had left, the Hole was alive with the sound of plates clattering, and the smell of bacon cooking. 'Ah, food. My _love_, my _life,' _I breathed, walking into the kitchen and sitting heavily onto one of the wooden chairs. Thorin sat at the polar end, far from me.

'Hear, hear,' replied Bofur, sliding a plate across the table and in my general direction. 'Bombur, the little lass would like some of your morning cooking,' he called through the clatter of awaking Dwarves, yawning and the starting flow of chatter.

Finally, people who understood the true _passion _that I held for food.

* * *

'What about that pony?' I has asked, referring to the free pony that hung around the back of the others. Everyone else was saddled and ready outside of Bilbo's home, and all were waiting for me.

'That one is for Bilbo,' said Gandalf.

I quirked my head to the side, brightening up. 'Is he coming now?'

Gandalf, in all is wise glory, said rather mysteriously. 'He does not yet know that he is coming, but he will, do not fret. We will save the pony for when he catches up with us, Millie. Therefore, you will ride with Kili. Now, _mount the pony'._

That could not sound more kinky, yet foreboding at the same time.

Admittedly, the whole company _had been w_aiting for me to climb behind Kili and onto the pony. I just didn't really know _how. _'You're gonna have to yank me up,' I informed Kili, who grinned down at me. Fili sat on the pony beside him, and watched with both interest and amusement. 'Don't _laugh, _man. I've never ridden any kind of animal before'.

'The girl has never ridden a _pony _before,' said Dwalin, stating the obvious. 'I sometimes fail to see her importance on this quest'.

I turned to face him, full of ready to fire sass. Heck, the finger of 'oh, no you didn't' was already raised and pointing in his direction. All I could sass out, though, was, 'firstly, _mate-'_

Before I could finish my well-prepared speech, Kili's horse promptly gave a large sneeze, scaring the _heck _out of me. I turned, arms in the air (ready to fight, obviously), and faced a hysterically laughing Kili. Several of the Dwarves, who had been talking among themselves, boomed out laughs. Thorin and Dwalin sighed and rubbed their foreheads.

Red in the face (from both the laughing, and the annoyed expressions), I hurriedly climbed atop Fili's horse, rather than Kili's. The latter seemed even more amused at my bitterness toward him laughing at me. To be fair, _I _would have laughed, had it been someone else.

You don't laugh at me and get away with it.

* * *

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	5. Dudes, Orcs And Tripping Over

Sitting with your legs perched on either side of a donkey was a not a comfortable way of traveling, let me tell you. To this day, I _still _cringe at how much my behind had ached, and how itchy the inside of my thighs had become. Therefore, travelling on the thing did not put me a great mood that day, despite the nice weather, and the sudden reappearance of Bilbo Baggins.

The Hobbit had come running at us from behind, waving the contract in his hand, all done up in his travelling gear. He'd signed it, in the end, and Thorin had informed me that since Bilbo had decided to come, I _would _be getting my share of the treasure.

I hadn't realized that him _not _coming had affected my share, but _okay_.

The arrival of Bilbo had happened hours before, and still we bumbled along in the countryside, through a mass of trees, with the sun peeking heavily through the leaves. The wood we traveled through was simple, yet it was lovely to look at. I didn't voice my fascination, because the men I traveled with were quite used to scenery such as that, while I was not.

I was used to concrete, houses, tall buildings and cars.

'Will you stop moving about back there?' said Fili, voiced laced with amusement, _as always. _'You're bothering the pony'.

I'd glared at his back, my hands lingering around his waist to stop me from falling sideways. 'Maybe if I had a pony to myself, we would't be having this problem,' I informed him with snark. 'You guys have freaking dragons, Elves and _Wizards_, couldn't I get an enchanted carpet up in here, or at least a broomstick? No, that would be even _more _uncomfortable, actually'.

'_What _are you wittering on about, Millie?' said Gandalf from further up the group. I had not, at the time, realized that it was not just Fili that could hear me, but the other Dwarves too. I'd muttered a 'nothing', and had ceased in fidgeting, though I _dreamed _of finally setting up camp.

My prayers were answered many hours later, hours that were filled with me falling asleep with my forehead pressed against Fili's back, the pony sneezing and waking me up. I pulled away from my makeshift pillow, and blinked lazily up at the orange sky.

'Daylight is waning,' said Fili, in response to my yawn. 'We will be setting up camp further down this hill. Mr Bilbo said that he spotted a good place within the rocks to sleep'. I guessed that waning meant, like, _setting _or something, so I'd nodded and flexed my fingers, cracking out any stiff bones. 'I am am sure that you are very tired,' he said sarcastically.

I glared at his back. 'Yeah, and I'm sure you're just _exhausted _from _steering a pony _all day'. This earned a sharp and hearty snort from Kili, who rode just behind us, to the right.

'I, for one, cannot wait to get some food in me,' said Bofur heartily, following the line of ponies as they began descending down a path down the side of the hill. 'And to sit around a nice, warm fire'.

I nodded in agreement, suddenly all kinds of serious. 'Amen to that, sister'.

I ignored the pointedly baffled looks and instead swallowed, trying desperately to bring some moisture to my dry mouth. 'Has anyone got some water?_' _Kili, the little gentlemen that he was, rode closer to us and handed over a leather satchel _thing, _that, apparently, had water in it. Unsure, I had unscrewed the top and taken a sip, trying desperately to keep the liquid from spilling all over me.

The mission, in the end, was a success. 'Thanks,' I told him, handing the bottle back. Still, his eyes lingered on me, even after I had given the bottle back. 'Fili, your brother keeps giving me the stink eye, and it's giving me the creeps,' I informed the older of the two.

Fili glanced back once, scoffed, and then proceeded to ignore me, though I am sure that he had no idea what I had said.

'We will walk the rest of the way,' called Thorin from the head of the group. 'And lead the ponies down the pathway. Come, dismount,' he urged, dropping from his own pony with manly, warrior-like elegance.

Elegance that I would have _killed_ for.

'_This_ going to be interesting,' I muttered, sliding sideways off of the pony after Fili had dismounted. It seemed that sliding sideways was not how I was going to get off of the pony, for Kili, leaving his ponies side, brushed his brother out of the way and offered me two arms, his hard stare fixed on my startled face.

'May I?'

_Oh, you may._

I swung one leg around the pony, grasping desperately for some balance. 'Dude, _anything _to get me off of this pony,' I told him, and with that, I gave a little spasm of a push forward, Kili caught me, settled me onto the ground, and it had all been _very_ swoon-worthy.

I had not noticed Fili's half-amused smile, because he had turned away from the scene. I wouldn't have noticed anyway, not with my warm cheeks, unsteady feet and brewing sneeze.

I followed them down the side of the hill, along the rocky pathway, trying desperately to get the sneeze out of me. Annoyingly, it was one of those ones that made your eyes water, then disappeared when you were sure you were about to sneeze.

While I grumbled about the cursed sneeze, we had finally reached our resting place. After setting up the ponies in their area, the Dwarves worked on setting up their own camp. I, myself, worked on grabbing the chewing gum from my bag and sticking a piece in my mouth. I then hummed to myself while snooping around the contents of my bag, rubbing some Vaseline on my dry lips.

'Fili, Kili,' called Thorin, turning to his nephews. 'Scout the area, and take the girl with you. Let her gather some wood for the fire-'

I stood up straight and pursed my lips at the King. 'My _name,' _I'd started, hand on my hip and eyebrow raised in an unimpressed manner. 'Is Alexandria Millicent Fournier, not _girl-'_

By that point, Fili and Kili had already firmly turned me around and pushed me back up the pathway that we had just walked down. I walked between them, unable to escape the person-prison.

'You shouldn't talk to him in that manner,' said Kili patiently. 'I know that our Uncle can be quite difficult sometimes-'

'And if by difficult, you mean emotionally constipated, then yes, he is,' I cut in, seeming more miffed than I actually was. At the time, I'd just wished that Thorin would stop being so bloody _moody_ with me, and everyone else. It wasn't _my _fault that I had come from a world that revolved around modern life, rather than wars fought with swords, axes, and women that were thought of as something other than _fighters._

Both brothers laughed after a small, awkward pause. 'You have a way with words that I sometimes envy,' said Fili, slapping me lightly on the back.

I'd been rather proud of that compliment.

We stopped atop the hill, and they waved me over to the edge of a wood that was close by, to gather some wood. 'We can keep an eye on you, at least,' said Kili, cracking a smile at my glare. I turned away from them, and started over for the forest while they searched the area for any signs of...well, Lord of the Ring type creatures, I guess. Were Orcs meant to appear in The Hobbit?

I had _hoped_ not.

The only thing that I knew about getting wood for a fire, was that it should be dry. Obviously. Baby _sloths _probably knew as much about the art of making a campfire. I_ hated_camping. I hated the uncomfortable sleep, the change in temperature, the sound of animals, and the grogginess you felt in the morning. On top of that, I had no place to shower.

I trod back to the edge of the path, my arms full of broken twigs, long twigs and any other assortment of twig. The only plus was that they were all bone dry, thanks to the sunny weather. I had wondered what season it was, seeing as in England, when I had left, it had been June.

Fili and Kili joined me soon after, after using their apparent 'sharp eyes' to seek out any oddities. Apparently they got the all clear, because soon they were leading me back down the path, bugging me into letting them carry the wood pile for me.

'Will you two _quit _it,' I snapped at them, entering the camp. 'Jeez, I'm capable of carrying a _pile of sticks, _thank you-!'

I had spoken too soon.

A rock that had, _obviously, _appeared out of nowhere slid beneath my foot, resulting in me tripping rather ungracefully into the camp, smacking into the innocent Ori, and scattering the gathered pile of twigs and wood onto the rocky floor.

A wry, 'you were saying, my Lady?' from Kili.

I stooped down, my face burning and my pride punched, hung and pebbled. I glanced up at Ori, who looked to be biting back a smile. 'Sorry' I said stonily. 'And _you,' _I half turned to the brothers, who were sharing amused smiles at my expense. 'Shut _up'._

They held up their hands, mouths tightly shut, and knelt beside me to gather up the wood and the twigs. The other Dwarves were rolling their eyes and muttering things such as, '_youngsters_', '_women_', and _'why isn't the food ready yet?_'

_I feel you, dude._

Half an hour later, we were all scattered around the camp, using wooden 'plates' to eat our bacon and beans off of. I was sat as close to the fire as I dared, my face warming against the flames. Despite the sunny weather of that day, the temperature had quite suddenly dropped. Everyone was talking quietly among themselves, or staying quiet, lost in their own thoughts.

So, of course, I had decided to ruin that.

'So,' I had started, taking my stare away from the bright fire. I noticed Thorin's stare of dread on me, but continued. 'What's everyone's favorite colour, then?

Brief silence reigned in which Dwarves blinked at me. Dwalin had held a hand to his forehead and shaken his head from side to side slowly, as if not knowing whether to find my questions funny, or stupid.

The silence was broken by Kili, who sat against a rock with his brother. 'Mine is blue'. I could have kissed him. Like, _seriously._

Fili joined in after, and I was quite close to forgiving them. _Almost. _'Mine also. Uncle?'

Thorin, who seemed to have a permanent look of deep annoyance on his face, looked at his nephews. For a moment his face softened, and he said, turning to me, 'mine is gold'.

_Right, didn't his dad have like a super-duper gold fetish or something?_

After Thorin decided to join in on the whole 'sharing' thing, so did everyone else.

Nori said, 'grey'.

Ori said, 'white, like paper'.

Dori said, 'red'.

Oin said, after me repeating the question twice, 'silver'.

Gloin said, like Thorin, 'gold'.

Bombur said, 'green, like grass'.

Bofur said, 'wood-colour, like mahogany'. _Effie, eat your heart out._

Bifur said, 'black', to which I snorted out, '_emo_', to which _everyone else _simply ignored.

Balin said, 'orange'.

Dwalin took a moment to think, and then said, 'yellow, I think'.

Bilbo said, 'green', without fault, and I thought that maybe he was thinking of The Shire.

I smiled brightly at them all, happy that they had decided to humor me. 'And _mine's_ green too. There we go, now we've all shared a little something, doesn't that just feel _good?' _I stood, brushed off my breeches, and spun around to make way for my bag, which hung from a rock. As I approached it, I heard Bifur mutter to Bombur, 'it just felt pointless to me'.

I sent him a stale glance, hand burrowed in my bag, but stopped short.

Only Fili and Kili, the closet to me, seemed to notice. 'Everything okay, Millie? You look like you've seen a ghost'.

I had turned my head a little to face them, completely thrown at what was protruding out of Bifur's head. 'Is _no one else _just a _little _alarmed at the fact that there is an _axe _stuck in Bifur's head?' I whispered, rubbing Vaseline on my lips absentmindedly. 'Like, _seriously'._

_'_You've only just _noticed?' _said Fili incredulously.

Kili looked amused, but shushed me quickly. 'He gets a little..._agitated_ when people point it out'.

I was utterly bamboozled. 'Uh, well _yeah!' _I sat down heavily next to them, resting by elbows on my knees. 'Dude, Dwarves are _weird'._

'_Dude,' _stressed Fili, and I turned to him in amused surprise. Even Kili looked mildly humored at hearing the words stretch uneasily out of his brothers mouth. 'You are a she-_Dwarf'._

Still slightly stumped at hearing Fili say _dude, _I replied with a quick, 'well, yeah, but I didn't u-'

_I didn't used to be, _was what I was going to stay, but I repaired the sentence as quickly as I could, and failed miserably at making it sound convincing. '_Er_, I didn't know much about Dwarves before, did I?'

Kili and Fili looked at me suspiciously. With an air of indifference, I turned away, cringing at my overall awfulness. '_Well_ then,' I sighed, stretching out my legs in front me. '_I'm _gonna hit the hay, so, you know, carry on with whatever you were doing before I came along'.

With that, I curled in upon myself and wrapped my cloak tightly around me, fully aware of every stone digging into my side, and the particularly sharp turn of rock that dug into my shoulder. Despite these factors, I fell into a half sleep, which didn't quite feel like sleep, yet didn't quite feel like awake.

I was awoken, quite suddenly, but a sharp screech.

I sat up quickly, groggily looking about at the camp. Many were asleep, and my eyes landed on Kili, who looked straight back at me. His face told me that I had not dreamed the noise. The sky was dark, which only added to the overall creepiness of it. The noise sounded again, and my stomach clenched uneasily.

'...What was that?' I asked slowly, at the exact same time that Bilbo did. He retreated back into the confines of the camp, his large feet carrying him along quickly.

Kili's dark eyes broke from mine, and looked to Bilbo. 'Orcs,' he mused, merely a little surprised.

My mouth dropped open in horror. 'Oh, _hell _no,' I muttered, moving purposely closer up the rock, toward Kili and Fili. 'I am _not _down with that - not _Orcs. _They are full on _nasty _little shi- bad, er, _things,' _I mended, catching the unimpressed gaze of the smoking Gandalf. 'Aren't they, like, _constantly _covered in black goo?'

Bilbo seemed to have the same idea, and practically pranced to the other side of the fire. Thorin, alarmed by this revelation, sat up fully. Oh God, if _Master of Misery_ was wary, then I should have been _crying _by this point.

'They'll be dozens of them out there,' said Fili, smoking his pipe nonchalantly. 'The Low-Lands are crawling with them'.

I'd moved so far up the ground, that I had to make sure I didn't burn myself on the fire. 'You're being very _calm_ about the whole thing,' I said, half hysterical.

Kili looked sideways at me, his mouth lifting up a little at the corner. He looked back to Bilbo, his face taking on a look of dramatically dark emotion. _That little shit._ I realized thathe was _purposely _trying to scare Bilbo. 'They strike,' said Kili, sounding mournful. 'In the wee small hours, when everyone's asleep'. I pressed my back into the wall behind me, now sitting next to him. 'Quick and quiet - no screams - just lots of blood'.

'You should take up professional acting,' I muttered dryly, to which he looked down at me, then back his brother, laughing softly at Bilbo's horrified expression.

Thankfully, Thorin came along then, standing from his spot. 'Do you think this is funny?' he admonished his nephews, who quickly looked abashed. I don't remember much of what Thorin said, mostly because I was biting back a pleased smile at Kili and Fili getting a good telling off. All I remember is that he had Kili looking downcast, and that he soon marched off to stand by the ponies.

I'd almost felt _bad _for the youngest Oakenshield.

I'd elbowed Kili in the side, catching his look and muttering a tired, 'although you deserved it, quit looking like he just stole your candy,' with my eyes already closed. I had a feeling, that with someone beside me, I would get a better sleep. 'He didn't mean to snap, I'm sure,' I mumbled. I didn't like it when people got all upset, it just made things super-awkward.

'Go to sleep, Millie,' said Kili quietly, just as Balin had began to speak.

'On it,' I mumbled, and half-hoped that I would not dribble, or snore.

That night, I fell asleep to the sound of Balin telling stories of a Pale Orc, a dead King, and the sad, lonely Thorin Oakenshield, my head slowly lolling to the side, and resting on his youngest nephews shoulder.

* * *

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**I borrowed the idea for the colour talk off of The Awkward Adventures of Meghan Whimblesby by februarysong.**


	6. Tails With Faces

Gandalf was the one who woke them all the next day, with both his voice, and by whacking his staff against the rocky surroundings. 'Up you get! It is dawn, and we must carry on. Ori, if you would begin serving out the bacon from last nights supper?'

I awoke with something tickling my nose, and had blinked hard when I realized that it was Kili's shoulder length hair. The said Dwarf was blinking awake also, and with a sniff, glanced down at me. A cocky smile lit up his features, which only resulted in me grimacing at him. 'Did you sleep well?' he asked, pausing to swiftly kick Fili, who had not awoken at Gandalf's word.

Fili awoke with a yelp.

I yawned, rubbing away the crick in my neck. 'I've had better sleeps,' I shrugged. Silently though, I had been thinking that people with insomnia had probably had better sleeps than that.

I stood then, taking notice of the rising sun and the misty look of the land below our campsite. The camp was slowly beginning to wake up, along with the world around us. Bombur snorted awake, and a moth promptly shot out of his mouth with the force of the sound. I stood, mid-stretch, both fascinated and horrified. The Dwarf looked mildly fascinated at the little creature.

Bilbo then wandered past me, his sack in his arms. '_Five _of them came tumbling out of his mouth last night,' he informed me quietly, with obvious distaste. I'd snorted softly at that, plopping myself down in front of Ori, who was slapping pieces of bacon onto wooden plates.

Kili and Fili followed soon after, though Kili looked miffed at something that his brother was saying. I never knew what it _was _that Fili could have said to have bugged his brother, but now that I think about it, I should have known. The brothers sat beside me, taking their plates gratefully and stuffing the food into their mouths. Fili was slightly less disgusting about it.

I paused in my eating, staring with repulsion and admiration at Kili, who was managing to fit whole pieces of bacon into his mouth. 'Watching you eat,' I'd informed him factually. 'Is like watching that cake scene from Matilda'.

Kili smiled around a bit of bacon. 'I have no idea what that means, but thank you,' he'd said, swallowing the mouthful tightly. 'Done. I'm going to go and saddle Wendy'.

_Who the hell names a pony Wendy?_

He turned around once, asking, 'are you riding with me today?'

Fili answered a quick and forceful, '_yes_', before I could so much as finish my mouthful. I glared at the elder one, who merely smiled, his braided mustache twitching with mirth.

* * *

That's when the rain began.

And it wasn't a drizzle, let me tell you. It was horrible, _wet _rain that soaked through every piece of clothing that you wore, the kind that _did not stop. _The air was muggy with it, and that just made the whole ordeal even worse.

I had been contemplating the odds of Fili noticing if a began braiding his hair, when the Dwarf in front of me said, over the rain, 'tell me about your home and your family, Millie'. I'd paused at that, my hands half raised toward his hair. Dropping them quickly, I pulled a confused face and answered with a blunt,

'Why?'

'Because I know very little about you'. _Fair enough, I guess._

Thanks to the loud rain, our conversation was kept quite private. Perhaps Fili and Bofur could hear my monologue, but they never said anything. It was nice, anyway, to talk of home when I was so far from it. 'I have a mum and a dad and a cat,' I started. 'My dad's a manager at a Museum, a place where they keep things from history for people to look at. My mum used to be a 'stay at home wife', but once I was old enough, she took back her job of being a supply teacher, so she doesn't work _all_ the time. And my _cat_,' I thought. 'Well, his name is Flower Pot and he's a grumpy little sod'.

Kili's back shook with laughter. 'I would be too, with a name like that'.

I couldn't deny my smile. 'I named him when I was four, and let me tell you, I was a _weird _kid'.

'I don't really have much to say that you'll understand. I was studying Textiles before...this, and before I came here, I planned to do something in Fashion, maybe. I was never really all that interested in it, but I was good at it, so I thought, you know, might as well do it if I'm good at it, huh?' I pressed my forehead against his back, feeling the rain assault every inch of my face. 'I think I'm about to drown'.

'Here, Gandalf,' called one of the Dwarves. 'Can't you do something about this rain?'

Gandalf, who was shielded by his abnormally large hat, replied sassily with, 'it is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done! If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another Wizard'.

I scoffed. 'You just got _told'._

I was ignored.

Instead, Bilbo's comment of, 'are there any?' was taken notice of. Fair play, it was actually quite a good question, and something that I had wondered. Surely if Gandalf _was _the only Wizard in Middle Earth, then wouldn't he be like super famous with loads of adoring fans? Gandalf then started wittering on about the other five wizards, and one named Saruman the White.

Three guesses what colour clothing _he _wore.

I'd been pretty sure at the time that 'Sauron the White' was meant to be super-evil, anyway. Judging from my small amount knowledge, he'd be in The Lord of The Rings films and screwed stuff up majorly. You can't really trust me knowledge though, I _had _been sure that who I _now_ know to be called Gollum, was called Dobby.

The subject went onto a Wizard names Radagast, who pretty much sounded like a tree-hugging hippy. Bilbo, in all his subtle glory, said to Gandalf, 'is he a great Wizard? Or is he more like you?'

I still strongly believe that my comment of, '_burn_', was much needed.

Two hours later, the rain had stopped and we had managed to break away from the muggy, stuffy confines of the forest, and instead out into the open air. The clothes I wore began to dry from the sun, as did my hair. This, though, only resulted in my dark hair looking almost as messy as it had been before.

We didn't speak much once the rain had cleared, only sharing comments on our direction, the time, and our food supply. I could have cried with relief once Thorin said, upon approaching a broken down home, 'we'll camp here for the night!' Sure, the place looked pretty creepy, but it was better than a rocky floor. I would _much _rather the soft bed of grass.

And I called _Radagast _the tree-hugger.

'Fili! Kili!' ordered Thorin. 'Gather the ponies!'

'I can help,' I told them, still atop the pony, while the rest of the company began setting up camp. Kili, who still sat in front me, snorted.

'Hey!' I whined.

Fili, with laughter in his voice, said, 'with all due respect, you _did _have difficulty collecting a pile of _twigs'. _He shared a look with his brother, looking as if both of them were the funniest beings in all the land. Idiots, they were.

'I _did _gather the wood,' I told them, grabbing my bag from the saddle and putting it across my shoulders. 'It was just the getting it back to camp that stumped me,' I shrugged.

'-To seek the company of the only one around here who's got any sense!' grumbled Gandalf, appearing all of a sudden and storming past us, his grip on his staff tight.

'Then look no _more_!' I said, spreading my arms, only to be ignored by the angry Wizard. Although, I _had _caught a smile from Ori, who looked as if he was trying to hard to bite it back._Success._

'And who's that?' inquired Bilbo, looked quite alarmed at Gandalf's abrupt departure.

'Myself, Mister Baggins!' barked the Wizard.

'Alright, Mister Modest,' I grumbled, attempting to clamber off of the pony with Kili still on it. Said Dwarf sighed and kicked himself off of the pony and steadily onto his feet. He then brushed his long hair back, gazed up at me, and held his arms out, looking expectant.

_Ngh._

I slid off of the pony and into his arms, half-distracted by the fact that Gandalf had _left. _'He will come back, won't he? He was the one who _found _me, he can't just _leave _me alone with you guys!'

Kili's eyes - which I now saw to be a dark shade of green - practically laughed at me. 'Are we so bad?' he inquired. The moment was broken by Fili slapping his brother on the back, reminding him of the task at hand. Kili and me, upon realizing we still half-held each other, stepped back quickly. Kili with a half smile, and me with a pink face.

'I'll take this one,' I said hurriedly, grabbing a random pony. 'Lead the way,' I told Fili, whose amused smile shrunk at my withering look.

We lead the ponies to the edge of the wood, where there once must have been a stable for horses that once resided there. The place was not too far from the camp that the other Dwarves were starting to set up. After a back and forth trip to get each pony, Thorin ordered Kili and Fili to watch over the ponies, until Nori and Ori took over later into the night.

I lingered around with the other Dwarves for a while, while Kili and Fili made their way over to the grazing ponies. After a moment of me sitting near the fire and nursing my aching thighs (bloody pony), I was approached my Bofur, who was holding a green cloak that I recognized to be his in his arms. I glanced at him, then at it. '...Yes?'

'Gandalf mentioned that you were a sower,' he began. 'Aye, I am able to fix clothing too, but I thought it better to have a professional. Would you mind?' he asked, holding out the cloak. 'The seam on the bottom has come undone, and I can't be doing with a broken cloak, not with the weather as it is'.

Unable to say no (and have nothing else to do) I had said yes. While I fought to find my sowing kit in my bag, Bofur sat beside, and I was once again dazzled by his hair and his hat.

'I was one of those who requested that you _did _join us on the quest, to Thorin,' he said, and his accent was thick. I glanced up from my sowing, my face softening slightly, but my words were a different story.

'I don't know whether to thank you,' I said. 'Or hit you'.

He laughed at that, and lent back into the grass, watching Bombur as he prepared his meal. 'Do you have a home, Miss Millie? If I may be so bold to ask,' he said hurriedly.

Utterly non-offended, I shook my head. 'No, I did, but not anymore. You can ask questions like that, you know,' I said suddenly. 'I won't be offended or, I don't know, _blush. _In case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of a special case'.

Bofur chuckled lightly. 'You see, _that's _why I wanted you to join us. I think with us, you belong. Maybe you could even find a home among us, be it in Erebor, or the Blue Mountains. You _should _be with your own kind, Miss Millie'.

I was stumped, and even more stumped when he stood suddenly, smiled brightly and reached for the cloak, which I had finished around two minutes before. 'Well, isn't that just lovely! Many thank yous, Miss Millie'.

And with that, he was turning away and slapping Bofur on the back, who, subsequently, ended up spilling some soup down himself. I'd always remember that chat that I had with Bofur. Although Kili and Fili had made me feel welcome, Bofur spoke of a time when the quest would be over, when I would not know what to do with myself.

Which, actually, was an everyday occurrence for me.

After realizing that dinner would not be ready for some time, I stood and made my way over to the clearing where I knew the ponies to be, as well as Kili and Fili. Crickets sounded in the grass beneath me as I walked, and I cringed at the thought of stepping on one of them. _Ugh, nature. _Upon approaching the ponies, I heard the loud and familiar voices of the Oakenshield brothers.

'-Will you _shut up?'_

Ah, the ever charming Kili.

'It was just an _observation, _brother! It's not my fault when you become overly offended'.

And the annoying Fili.

They were standing - or more leaning - against two trees. Kili with his arms crossed, and Fili with a big, shit-eating grin on his face. His blue eyes jumped to my face as I came into view.

'Hola, amigos'.

Fili smiled widely. 'And there she is!' he practically chirped, gesturing at me. Kili's dark eyes had a different effect on me than Fili's, and my stomach did an embarrassing flip. _Ugh, feelings._

'You two are being very loud,' I observed, approaching them. 'What were you arguing about?'

'Nothing,' said Kili.

I'd sent him a dry look. 'As if _that _won't pique my interest'. Knowing that they would not tell me, I changed the subject. 'I need the toilet, stay here and make sure nothing creeps up on me while I, you know, pee'.

Fili closed his eyes and shook head, while Kili gazed up at the heavens. 'There are somethings,' said Kili. 'That a woman does not share with a man'.

'Jesus Christ,' I ranted, dropping my bag onto the floor. 'It's not as if I'm peeing right here, is it? You men, _I'm _less of a prude that you are, and _I'm _meant to be the prim and proper woman'. With that, I turned on my heel and disappeared into the wood. Worried that they would hear me piddle, I ventured out a little further than I should have, did my business (ah, the relief) and then promptly yelped loudly when something dropped from a tree above, and onto my head.

It felt, looked, and sounded like a snake.

The sound of metal being drawn and twigs snapping should have had me backing away and into the general direction that Fili and Kili were coming from, but no, not me. Let me tell you this, dear reader. Alexandria Millicent Fournier _does not _like snakes. The way they unhinge their jaws when they eat, their slithery bodies, their _faces._

They practically have me gagging when I think of them, and still do.

So, having had one drop onto my head, I was in a little bit of a horrified state. The _thing _wriggled around on the floor, and I jumped wildly away from it, and ended up bumping into something hard.

That time, I screamed _properly_.

'It is us, Millie!' assured Kili, turned me around and grabbing me by the shoulders. 'What is _wrong?'_

I pushed myself behind both of them, making sure that they guarded me safely. 'Okay, I get that you think I'm a weakling and a wimp but there is a snake over there, and you cannot blame someone for being a _tiny _bit terrified of their biggest phobia, can you? I'm sorry I made you panic, but _it dropped on my head'. _I gagged and shuddered. 'It was on me, oh _God!'_

The brothers shared a glance. 'You're scared of a grass snake?' The little shit was still having a freaking seizure on the floor, hissing and bitching. I made sure that Kili was firmly in front of me.

'_Yes. _They are_ horrible. _How can you not hate-' I shuddered as they both turned to face me. 'They are simply _tails _with _faces,' _I informed them, as if this revelation was the worst of them all.

'I think it's time for you to go to bed,' suggested Kili. I shook my head, thinking of snakes in the grass that I had been so willing to sleep on. 'Alright then. Stand watch with Fili and I, until Nori and Ori take over'.

I sniffed and nodded. 'That sounds acceptable'.

He grinned at that and shared a short look with his brother. 'Come along then. You can tell us about the other phobias that I am _sure_ you have'. They guided me the way that we had come, though I was hyper aware of anything that rustled in the trees.

'What the hell was a _grass_ snake doing in a _tree _anyway? Stupid thing, doesn't even know what _kind _of snake that it is,' I grumbled, gracefully tripping over a tree root. A_splintered_tree root. Kili's had shot out to grab my elbow, righting me.

I thanked him, then I looked up.

The tree that I had tripped over looked like it had been pushed out of the way by something large. The trunk had splintered, and the roots were being pulled from the ground. My stomach dropped unpleasantly as thoughts of what had happened fluttered through my mind.

'Ah,' I said. '_That's_ not how we left it'.

'Indeed,' said Fili. 'Nor are the ponies. There are fourteen, where there were once sixteen'.

* * *

**Seeing as you guys are reviewing so amazingly, I thought I'd shove up another chapter. I hope you like it, and we all know what comes next chapter, so review!**

**And yes guys, butterflies were cried.**


	7. How To Name Your Parasites

'We are in _deep _shit'.

Fili had taken his stare away from the ponies, turning to look at me with an almost horrified look. 'We are _what?' _His blue eyes darted to the floor, which was covered in moss, wood chippings and dirt. 'We are most definitely _not'._

'This is the _snakes _fault,' I said with venom, ignoring him. 'If that snake hadn't _attacked _me, then we would _know_ what took the ponies'. We stood in a line. First Kili, then me, then Fili. The oldest of us all had his eyes darting around at every part of the clearing, trying to spy out any clues. Other than the massive broken tree and the missing ponies, of course.

Kili was being all brooding, with his mouth set into a firm line, and his dark eyes staring straight ahead. He was hardly even moving. _Huh, normally he'd be snickering at my profanities. _

'I think Kili's had a stroke,' I whispered.

I was ignored, but at that moment, the sound of large feet approaching caused me to turn around and spy out the beautifully ignorant Bilbo. In his hands, he held to wooden bowls filled with soup.

'One of those better be for me,' I said lightly, though there was a fair warning behind the words. One of those _better _be for me.

Bilbo had stopped behind me, and looked back and forth between Kili and Fili, who had not yet turned around. 'What's the matter?' he asked slowly, still holding the soup toward the Dwarves. _Jeez, if they don't want it, I'll have it. _

'We were supposed to be looking after the ponies,' said Kili quickly. The stoic expression was gone, and now he looked a little like he was hyperventilating.

'Only we've encountered a...slight _problem,' _edged Fili, half turning to the confused Bilbo.

'We _had _sixteen'.

'_Now _there's fourteen'.

'_Wh_oops'. I stepped forward. 'Best see _which _ones you two idiots have lost then,' I said airily, approaching the huffing ponies. It wasn't like I was very fond of the sneezing creatures, but hey, I'd rather ride a pony than _walk _to this Smaug.

'If it wasn't for _you,' _said Kili, stepping after me. 'We would have _seen _what did this, and could have maybe prevented it!'

I whirled around to face him. 'A snake jumped out of a _tree _and _attacked _me! It's not _my _fault you came running after me. _You're_ just bitter because Uncle Dearest is going to be miffed at you'.

I realize _now_ that I had been unfair, but, let's be honest, do I seem like the well-tempered type?

Kili threw his hands up, storming past me and into the heard of ponies. 'Next time then, I will not bother coming to your aid!'

Fili gave a sharp clap of his hands. 'Will the both of you _please _shut up?' He sighed, then looked to his brother. 'Which ones are absent, Kili?' I silently fumed, both tired, hungry and annoyed at the fact that I _had _caused this problem. Another great reason for Thorin to think of me as useless.

Kili silently counted to himself, then said, 'Daisy and Bungle are missing'.

'Oh,' said Bilbo, following us along, still holding the soup. I made a small grab for one of the bowls, but he moved deftly to the side. 'That's not good. That's not, uh, good at _all'. _I glared heavily at him, my stomach rumbling quietly. 'Shouldn't we tell Thorin?'

'No!'

'Er, _no,' _agreed Fili. 'Best not worry him. As our official burglar, we thought _you_ might like to come into it'.

Bilbo looked very much like he did not want to 'come into it', and despite feeling like Fili and Kili were getting him to do the dirty work, I couldn't quite bring myself to offer myself to look for the ponies.

'Uh, well, it looks as if something _big _babooted these trees,' he began following Fili further down into the wood. I followed suite, sending Fili a miffed look and a flourish of my dark hair. Not seeing a stray hollow in the ground, I _did _trip over lightly, but we'll ignore that fact.

'That was our thinking,' agreed Fili.

'Something _very _big,' said Bilbo, stopping short to stare at the splintered tree. 'And _possibly _quite dangerous'. He still held the soup, and I wondered how he had not yet spilled it.

'Millie,' said Kili, and I turned to face him. He'd stood behind me, eyebrow quirked and my bag in one of his hands. He held it out to me. 'You left your bag behind,' he told me. There was a hint of teasing on his voice, and _that _only made me more annoyed.

I took the bag from his hand none too gently. '_Thank _you,' I said sweetly, putting the bag across my shoulders.

'Wait!' started Fili, falling into a quick crouch. 'There's a light over there'. He turned to spy out his brother, who quickly joined his side, and they both hurried over to hide behind a log, pulling the cautious Hobbit along with them, who _still _balanced the soup neatly in his hands. I paused, then followed them, narrowing my eyes hard at the canopy of trees.

_'I _don't see anything,' I told them. Kili grabbed me roughly by the arm and yanked me down beside them. All anger disappeared into butterflies and unicorns as I found myself squished between himself and Bilbo, but more specifically, _him. _He half looked at my wide eyed stare, gave me an odd look, and then continued to glare out at the trees.

_Smooth._

'That would be because you were looking in the complete wrong direction,' he pointed out quietly, his other hand still firmly holding onto my arm. '_There,' _he said, and raised a finger in front of me to point at the orange glow that was hidden - but seen - within the trees. Not only that, but loud laughing could be heard from the spot, and not the pretty, _My Little Pony _kind of laughing.

'_That's _unnerving,' I whispered.

'What _is _it?' asked Bilbo, at the same octave level as me.

Kili pulled me to my feet and began pulling me backwards, uttering one word. '_Trolls'._

As we darted back the way we had come, my mouth had fallen open. 'No _way,' _I gasped. '_Trolls? _Oh that is nasty! Are we talking like _Harry Potter _troll, or those weird toy ones that you can get with the whack hair?' I turned back to find Bilbo hobbling back to get the soup. 'Bilbo!' I whispered loudly. 'Enough with the soup!'

Kili pushed me against the boulder, and I realized that we had brought ourselves _closer _to the supposed 'trolls'. He looked straight at me, putting a finger to his lips, and peered around the rock, turning his back to me and successfully trapping me. Fili and Bilbo soon pushed themselves against the rocks too, just as something large, heavy and smelly came bumbling past his.

Kili pushed me further against the rock, but I managed to catch a glimpse of the grey skinned brute. The shock hit me like a thousand water balloons. It had been the first _creature _that I had seen in Middle Earth. 'I think I'm gonna hurl,' I muttered wildly, clenching my eyes shut.

'We _have _to do something!' whispered Bilbo.

The brothers looks at Bilbo, eyes alight with a new idea. Kili pulled himself away from me, and I slid down the wall, feeling rather ill. 'Yes!' whispered Kili enthusiastically. '_You _should! Mountain trolls are _so stupid, _and _you're _so small-' Bilbo began waggling his fingers, catching on. '-They'll never see you!' insisted Kili. 'It'll be perfectly safe, we'll be _right _behind you-'

'If you run into trouble,' cut in Fili, grabbing Bilbo by the arm and pushing him along. 'Hoot twice like a barn owl, and once like a brown owl-' With that, he swiftly pushed the poor Hobbit over the rock and after the troll, who carried the two snorting ponies.

Kili turned to me and yanked me off of the ground, to which I groaned at. 'Come on,' he whispered, and we scuttled through the wood, away from the now alone Bilbo and the- the _trolls._

'We can't _leave _him!' I insisted quietly, once were arrived back at the other ponies. 'He knows as much about this stuff as I do!'

'But he's _little_,' pointed out Fili. 'And quiet. He'll be _fine. _Anyway, we'll go tell Thorin now, that way if he does run into trouble, we can catch them unaware, can't we?'

Kili shot his brother a look. 'We're going to tell Thorin?'

'_Yes'. _As we hurried back to camp, Kili peered curiously at me. 'Are you alright?' he asked, worriedly. 'You seemed quite-'

I waved a hand, swallowing away my fear and my sickness. 'I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting to run into trolls anytime soon. You know, not exactly on my bucket-list or anything,' I gave a nervous, hysterical laugh. Fili and Kili shared a short, startled look. 'They _are _just ponies, we could have just left them, you know,' I pointed out.

'Thorin wouldn't have liked that,' said Fili, and I had to agree.

The camp was laughing and eating, with Nori being the center of attention. Once we approached them, the whole camp quietened down slightly after Thorin asked, 'What is the matter? Where's the Halfling?'

Kili opened his mouth, but Fili stepped forward, cutting off his brother. 'Two of the ponies were taken,' he said. 'By _trolls_. Mister Bilbo is currently attempting to take back what was taken'.

'Trolls?' asked Thorin, standing. 'Mountain trolls?'

The brothers nodded, and I stayed behind them, my stomach churning.

Dwalin stood next. 'Well, come on then lads,' he said loudly, and the company burst into a frenzy of spilling soups and gathering weapons. 'Mister Baggins is in need of our aid, is he not?'

I was glad that he'd decided to get the rest of the Dwarves going, because Thorin looked like he was having an internal battle with himself. Finally, after feeling my gaze on him, Thorin's harsh eyes sprang up to my face, as everyone else made themselves busy. 'I suppose you were the one that distracted my nephews from their job?'

I broke my gaze away from his, stepping back and turning around. I'd felt guilty, ashamed, and a little embarrassed. Had they _all _thought that I was utterly useless, and just a simple, distracting child?

I was, but that was beside the point.

Minutes later, the Dwarves were circling the area. Kili, all the way, had been badgering me to stay hidden, but I had insisted that they give me any old weapon and I help save Bilbo. 'I can duck if they try and hit me,' I told him. 'Come _on, _one more Dwarf will only help, won't it? I can't make anything _worse'. __  
_

Kili gave me a pointed sideways glance.

'Well, yes, I probably _could - _but I _won't'. _I watched as the Dwarves all dropped into a crouch and went their separate ways, all according to the plan that Thorin had made. 'Come on,' I said. 'Time to whoop these trolls butts'.

The trolls were making a lot of noise, so as I perched behind a bush, I was quite distracted. We were told to wait until Kili jumped out, distracted the trolls, and then the rest of us were to, like, jumped out of the bushes like raving idiots.

The trolls were calling after Bilbo, who, I saw, was ducking around and avoiding their large, grasping hands.

'I can't believe I'm seeing this,' I muttered. 'Shouldn't you be going?'

He was looking at me, all dark and smirking. 'As _Milady_ says,' he drawled, still crouching beside me. With lightening speed, he took one of my hands and pressed his lips to the inside of my wrist, his insanely smoldering gaze not leaving mine once. His breath tickled me, and I practically choked on my own tongue. With that, he grinned, yanked his sword from his belt, and jumped through the bushes, yelling, '_drop_ him!'

And I had promptly turned to a mess of smiling jelly. Very pink, very warm smiling jelly.

I scrambled to my feet upon hearing the roars of the Dwarves as they sprung form the bushes, attacking the three trolls. 'Oh, bloody hell,' I muttered, yanking my 'sword' (the thing was barely even a dagger, as it had belonged to Ori) from the belt that kept my breeches up. 'This is all the snakes fault,' I'd grumbled, and then had thrown myself through the bushes, and smack bang into Dwalin.

The bald Dwarf had given me a half-look, and then suddenly thrown me sideways, out of the way of a large, grey hand that smacked the ground where I had been standing.

There were Dwarves at every turning, and I had to force myself to twist my way through them, wary of the swords that were jabbing at the trolls. The trolls, _yes_. They were big, ugly, grey and were like nothing I had ever seen. For a moment, I had wondered if this whole ordeal - everything - was a dream. Then I came to my senses, and ducked from the soaring hand of a troll.

These Dwarves, who were, admittedly, all equally emotionally challenged and grumpy, suddenly turned into warriors once a weapon was thrown into their hands, and I couldn't help but be awed and impressed.

'_Oh, _a lady!' said a particularly 'special' sounding troll. 'I _love _the taste of a lady. Sweet and soft - she's _mine!_'

It's probable that my face had taken on a look of utter horror and repulsion, and that my shout of, 'you _what?' _matched my expression perfectly. A tree trunk-like leg had smacked down to the right of me, and I quickly jabbed my only weapon deep into the calve. Which, of course, meant no more weapons for Millie. 'Er-' I turned and ducked out of the way, tripping over the fire and nearly falling face-first into the embers. 'This is all Peter _Jackson's_ fault!' I'd screeched, spinning rather ungracefully away from the flames.

The troll behind me squealed in pain, and I was _about _to make my ungraceful way over the Bilbo - who was trying to free the ponies - but at that moment, one of the trolls burst forward, knocking many of the Dwarves aside, who each smashed straight into me. I groaned very loudly, just as the whole of the battle drew a sharp quiet.

'_Bilbo!' _shouted Kili, just as Balin gave me his hand and pulled me up. I was herded to where the Dwarves were all standing, and they unconsciously pushed me to the back.

I still saw him though - Bilbo. He was held by two of the trolls, his little arms and legs in each of their grasps, ready to be yanked straight off should any of us make the wrong move.

I'd felt sick at the thought of what would happen if they pulled.

'Lay down your arms!' said a troll, looking especially pleased. 'Or we'll rip his off!' The other trolls giggled and snickered, all very happy with the sharp turn of events.

The pause in which none of the Dwarves dropped their weapons had me looking around incredulously. 'Thorin!' I whispered, outraged. A few glanced at me, but Thorin stayed perfectly still. I could practically _smell _his glare - I _had _been the recipient of it many a time.

Finally, the Dwarf stabbed his sword roughly into the ground and, thankfully, the others followed suite quickly.

* * *

'You know,' I had started conversationally, distracting myself from the foul smelling sack that I had been forced into. 'I've never met a troll before, not where I'm from. I've gotta say, this isn't the _best_ first impression'.

I was trapped between Oin and Kili, the latter who shot me a wry look. The others who I was imprisoned with all wriggled pathetically, desperate to free themselves. Opposite us, were the ones who were to be cooked first, spinning lazily above a spitfire.

'Oh my _God. _What the heck was in this sack before me? Because, _seriously, _that doesn't even smell remotely _edible,' _I gagged, forcing my nose as far away from the inside of the sack as I could.

'Be quiet, lass,' grumbled Oin.

I struggled to send him an angry look, seeing as I was _sort of_ trapped inside a sack, as I have said. 'What? I plan to annoy these trolls as much as I can before they eat me, Oin. I might even start singing the Hoedown Throwdown, and trust me, you're gonna want to be alive for _that'._

Oin considered this, then nodded. 'When you put it like that, please, carry on, Lassie'.

I coughed dramatically, then bellowed out, '_Pop it, lock it, polka dot it-!'_

I was cut off by one of the trolls grumbling something along the lines of, '-Dawn ain't far away, and I don't fancy being turned to _stone!' _To which everyone froze and shared uncertain, hopeful glances with one another.

'Boy, do I smell a _plot twist!' _

_'Wait!' _shouted Bilbo desperately, wriggling in his sack. The trolls paused to stare at him, gormless. 'You are making a _terrible_ mistake!'

'State the _obvious_,' I said, tutting to myself. 'Why didn't _I _think of that?'

'You can't reason with them, they're _halfwits!'_

'Halfwits?' said Bofur. 'What does that make _us?'_

_'Qaurterwits?' _I suggested.

'I meant with the, er, with the _seasoning,' _added Bilbo, now standing and hopping over to where the trolls were preparing their meal. There was a brief pause, in which I let out a loud snort. 'Have you _smelt _them?' he said, leaning forward. 'You're gonna need something stronger than _sage _when you plate this lot up,' he said.

All amusement gone, I yelped, 'I _beg _your pardon?' While the test of the Dwarves shouted in offence and objection. _Just what the hell is Bilbo playing at, saving his own behind?_

'Shut it, _dessert_!' ordered one of the trolls, its bulging eyes spying me out.

'...Did it just call me _dessert?' _I cried, kicking my feet out hard.

_'_Let the, uh, let the _hobbit _talk,' insisted a troll, leaning toward Bilbo, its interest captured.

'Now,' started Bilbo quickly. 'The, er, the secret to cooking Dwarf-' a pause in which he considered his words, then carried on. 'Is _to-' _Wait a second. '-Skin them first!'

'Mate,' I muttered. 'That would take _forever-'_

_..._

_Ooooooooh._

The Dwarves around me erupted into outrage, all cursing Bilbo and the trolls. I had _tried _to tell them, honest, but since I had received the title of 'Nonsense Talker', no one would listen to me!

'What a load of rubbish!' spat the troll, turning the spitfire. _The sun better be coming up soon, because those Dwarves are starting to look a _little _overcooked. _'Nothing better than a bit of _raw _Dwarf,' said another troll, reaching down into the pile of us. Kili did something then, that nobody else had ever done for me. Despite the fact that his brother was about to be cooked, and soon, himself, he rolled over, half covering me, his face buried in my hair.

He had hidden me from the trolls view, ensuring that I would not be picked from the pile.

I didn't want to point out that the trolls weren't going to eat me until after they had eaten everyone else, because he _had _just made sure that I wouldn't become _Millie Mozzarella. _

I couldn't think of another word that began with 'M', sorry.

Once Bombur had been pulled from the pile, I stared incredulously at Kili, who pulled away from me, dark eyes more intense and more, I don't know, _there _than I had ever seen them before.

'Thank you,' I whispered, but my voice was drowned out by the sound of Bilbo yelping,

'Not that one! He-he's _infected_!'

'He _what?'_

'He's got worms,' Bilbo insisted. 'In his..._tubes_'. The troll quickly threw Bombur back toward us, and _directly _on top of me. Bless Bombur, he _was _a large man, so, of course, the hit did hurt quite a lot.

'No!' I yelped, drowning in a mass of ginger hair. 'Man _down_! Man _down_!' I was sure, at the time, that I would die by Dwarf Suffocation. 'Code red, I repeat, code _red - help!'_

Bombur wriggled off of me and directly onto Oin, who gave a great huff.

'I can _breathe,' _I gasped.

'-In fact,' carried on Bilbo. 'They _all_ have. They're _infested _with parasites, it's all very terrible business - I wouldn't risk it, really'. He shook his head, as if to prove his point. Although I was still mourning my aching body, I'd almost applauded Bilbo on his quick thinking.

'We don't have _parasites!' _yelled Kili, looking the most offended that I had seen him. '_You _have parasites!'

'Mature,' I'd quipped.

'_Parasites!' _said Oin, along with all the others. 'We do _not_-'

Thankfully, Thorin gave the group a swift kick, his face impassive, having also caught onto Bilbo's plot. 'You guys are bloody _idiots,' _I scoffed. _'_Well, _I _have parasites!' I insisted loudly. 'I have parasites _so _big, that I _named _them! There's Clive, Leon, Stevie-'

Soon, the rest joined in, _finally _catching on.

'...I've got parasites as big as my _arm,' _said Oin.

'I've got parasites, I've got _huge _parasites! I've got the _biggest _parasites!' yelled Kili.

'We are _riddled _with parasites!'

'Yes, yes we are!'

'-Linda, Brianna-'

'What?' said a troll, staring down at Bilbo. 'You want us to let them go? This little ferret is taking us for _fools_-'

'_Ferret?' _yelped Bilbo.

At that moment, Gandalf did some crazy opera singing or something, so much so that I could barely understand what he'd said. He'd popped out of nowhere, standing on, what I liked to call, Pride Rock. The sky was lighting behind him, and it all looked pretty epic.

_Kudos to you, Jackson._

With a strong - for an old man - jab at the rock with his staff, Gandalf split Pride Rock into two, and from behind there poured a vast ray of morning sunlight. I cringed back, not yet used to the light, and when I opened my eyes, the trolls were made of solid, grey stone, all stuck in their last positions.

'Shit,' I mused. 'It _actually_ worked'.

The Dwarves shouts of glee and laughter were agreement enough. Heck, Thorin's smile simply _proved _that Bilbo had done well, though I doubted that he would voice it.

Minutes later, we were all untied and happy to be so. The laughter stopped short, though, when Thorin said something along the lines of, 'there must be a cave nearby'.

'And that means?' I asked, curious.

Kili glanced sideways at me, and I reminded myself that I needed to thank him for what he had done. His smiled toothily. 'Treasure, Millie. It means _treasure'._

* * *

**Well that was a whopper to write.**

**I can't believe I'm almost on 100 reviews, I'm honored and chuffed and dgfhcjvkbnl. I can't believe how positively you guys are responding to a little idea I had while falling asleep, it's amazing.**

**Keep reviewing and all that jazz!**


	8. Snowthorn

'Well this place freakin' _reeks'._

And it had, trust me on that. Despite the many treasures - valuable and invaluable - the little troll cave smelt of either rotting flesh, poop or whatever else those fowl creatures could produce.

'What is that _stench?'_

'Isn't that basically what I just said?' I inquired grumpily. 'Don't you guys _ever_ listen to me?'

Gandalf's reply said all. 'It's a troll hoard,' he replied to the Dwarf who had spoken - and _not_ me. 'Be careful what you touch,' he warned fairly.

'I'll take that as a _no, _then,' I muttered to myself. Dori, who walked beside me, snorted softly.

The troll cave was filled with weapons, gold, chests, clothing and any other thing that you could think of. I guessed that whoever the trolls ate, they then kept anything that they, well, _didn't _eat. 'I can't imagine what a troll would want with a frilly dress,' I said dryly, picking up the hem of said dress. 'I mean, they are _so _last season'.

'Keep your comments to yourself, Millie. We cannot understand a thing that you are saying,' said Gandalf lightly, poking around the cave.

I'd huffed indignantly at his turned back.

'Seems a shame to leave all this lying around,' said Bofur slowly, eyes catching the other greedy looking Dwarves. Admittedly, I _had _been thinking along the same lines. So, I stooped down and grabbed a handful of coins, shoving them into my bag.

'What?' I said, catching the amused eye of Kili. 'I have _no _money and _no _relatives - may as well grab some dollar while I can, right?'

'Do you honestly think that we'll let you go as soon as we have finished the quest?' he replied, all traces of humor gone. 'You are one of us now, Millie. Isn't she lads?'

'Indeed, she is!' said Bofur, scooping a load of gold into a newly dug hole. 'Can't let you go off alone and homeless, can we?' There was a murmur of absent agreement, as the Dwarves and the Wizard rifled through the many forgotten items.

I was stumped, embarrassed and flattered. 'Oh,' I coughed, my face pink. 'Well- that's, um, that's very nice, you guys. Thank you. I'll just-' I turned swiftly around, hoping that they would not see my watering eyes. Let me tell you, I did not normally _cry_. Aside from the panic of first arriving here, I had not cried since.

Kili's voice was soft behind me. 'Are you crying?' he asked quietly, so that the others would not hear.

_Oh, buggering hell._

'No!' I muttered quickly, blinking away the shiny eyes. 'I'm just...very _flattered, _is all. But I'm not _crying_'. I turned to face him, glad that the others were busy. I did not like to show the, well, _the soft _side of myself _too _often. 'Thank you,' I'd mumbled. 'For before, when you covered me. It was stupid and pointless, but thank you anyway. You didn't have to'.

Kili straightened up and puffed his chest out. ' 'Course I did,' he said, shrugging with a toothy smile on his face. Sometimes, even now, I forget that he was seventy-seven at the time. He seemed so young, so careless and _young._

I was mid-smile when suddenly Dwalin called my name. I turned to the older Dwarf, who chucked something relatively light and small in my general direction. I caught it with stumbling hands, surprised at how cool the object felt.

Upon closer inspection, I found it to be a dagger of some sort, larger than the one that I had shoved into the trolls leg. '...You trust me with this?' I'd asked, glancing up at him, baffled. The small sword was thin and cold. Upon retracting it slightly from the scabbard, I saw the metal to be silver and light. _Pretty. _'Aren't you afraid I'll break it, or, I don't know, accidentally stab myself in my sleep?'

Dwalin cocked a brow at me and crossed his arms heavily. 'You're gonna need something to defend yourself with, lass, and although I'm not too fond of the Elves, that right there is a good blade. Light enough for you to handle, am I right?'

I weighed the sword, scared of how fragile it looked. 'Yeah,' I replied. 'It is'.

Kili took it from my arms quickly, but dropped it immediately. 'It's hot!' he barked, as the sword clattered to the floor. 'How were you holdin' it when it was so hot?' He looked as if his pride had been hurt, and rubbed his burnt hand with care.

I stared at him, incredulous. 'The heck are you smoking? It's _cold'. _To prove my point, I reached down to pick up the small sword. 'See? Cold!' I pushed it toward him, but he jumped back. 'Oh my God, you _wuss_!' I'd laughed out.

A few of the others seemed to find the whole exchange rather amusing, and glanced over. Kili glared at them, then back at the sword. 'If it was _cold, _then I would not have dropped it from the _heat,' _he snarked back.

I held up my hands, still holding the sword. 'Alright, I'm sorry, _Grumpy'._

Gandalf appeared at my side, and I looked up at him, my face smoothing out into a smile. 'Millie,' he said. 'Do I have your permission to hold you sword?'

'What?' He gave me a stern look, raised eyebrows and all. 'Yeah, sure, knock yourself out, Gandizzle ' I said, handing him the sword. He held it with care, and did not cry out in pain as Kili had. '_See,' _I said, turning to the Dwarf. He merely rolled his eyes to meet mine, annoyed.

Gandalf continued to study the object, then smiled. 'It is as I thought, the sword is _Aglos, _and was made by the Elves. It is burning hot to the touch to those that it does not belong to, and cool to those that it does. You gave me permission to hold it, and therefore I was not burnt. Kili, though,' his amused, blue eyes found the moody looking Dwarf. 'Was'.

'No way,' I said, practically jumping on the spot. 'I have a _magic _sword. I feel like I'm in _Skyrim_!'

Gandalf smiled kindly and handed it back to me, and I took it with great excitement. '_Aglos,' _he said. 'Meaning _Snowthorn. _Your sword has a name, and has seen battle, my dear'. His eyes traveled to Thorin, who was handling some shiny looking swords, and wandered over to him.

I held the sword with nimble fingers, gazing at it. 'All of a sudden I feel _way _too ordinary to be holding this. If it's Elvish, shouldn't an _Elf _have it, and not me? I can't even _use _a sword'.

'You will learn,' replied Kili, less moody than before.

_That's likely, ha! '_Aren't I meant to, like, throw this on the floor and spit on it, or whatever? Seeing as it's made by Elves, I mean. You know, like Thorin is doing to those swords over there,' I said, nodding to the miffed looking King, who looked at me at the sound of his name.

_Busted._

'Let's get out of this foul place,' he grumbled, turning away and addressing the rest of the Dwarves. 'Nori, come!' he called to the Dwarf was still filling in the hole where they had buried a chest of treasure. He, along with a few of the others, had been making a 'long term deposit'.

I looked at Kili, who had turned away from his retreating Uncle and back to me. 'What?' he asked, noticing my troubled stare.

I looked at, er, Snowthorn (squee!) and back at him. 'I don't really know how to attach this to my belt,' I told him, sheepish. 'Let alone fight with it,' I said as an afterthought. 'I _am _useless'.

Kili, anxious to follow the rest, quickly held out his hand, and with a quick confirmation from me of 'yeah, yeah, I give you permission to hold my sword', he took it, crouched, pushed my cloak aside (I blushed, like a teenager) and began to attach the scabbard of the sword to my belt. I wasn't quite sure how he did it, but in the end, he did. I could barely feel the weight of the sword on my side, and once Kili was with height with me, I smiled brightly.

'Look at me, huh? Who'd have thought I'd ever have a _sword!'_

Kili rolled his eyes, muttered, 'yes, the notion _is_ alarming,' and started out of the cave, me following after him. I practically _swaggered _out, all made up in my new woman-warrior sword. A freakin' _magic _sword, at that.

The others were mooching around the outside of the cave, while Thorin studied the surrounding area, deciding which way to go next. I stood idly beside Ori and Dori, the latter who muttered to his brother, 'If you keep writing in that _damned_ journal, you're going to end up walking into a tree, Ori!'

The youngest sent his grey haired brother a dark look, but his small eyes flashed to mine upon seeing my not so subtle stare. At seeing me, he pulled the journal closer to his chest. Taking the opportunity that I had, I'd asked, 'What _do _you write in that thing? I've tried to read it, but it just looks like, I don't know, _Vulcan _or something'.

'I've never heard of _Vulcan _before,' stated Dori, turning to me. 'Is it a language that you know?'

'Er, _no_'.

A half amused, half curious stare was given to me. 'I see. In reply to you question, though, Ori is documenting our travels. He is a skilled writer and artist, you know'.

I hadn't, and I'd told them so.

'Somethings coming!' warned Thorin loudly, capturing the attention of everyone in the company. The Dwarves all jumped into action, and without really know how, I found Fili by my side, grabbing my arm and pulling me down with the rest of the Dwarves. I did not question his sudden appearance, nor _who _was coming. I was simply thankful that he'd helped me.

_Something _had been coming. It was loud and fast, smacking tree leaves and bushes out of the way, before, finally, bursting out into open, causing all of the armed Dwarves to stutter backwards, surprised.

'..._Santa_?' I'd yelped, staring at the bearded, dirty man who stood atop a sleigh led by...rabbits.

'Radagast!' Gandalf had shouted merrily, spreading his arms and walking forward. _The Wizard hippy? _'Radagast the Brown!' he stood in front of his friend, peering curiously at him, while the rest of us stared on, baffled. 'What on _earth _are you doing here?'

'I-I was looking for you, Gandalf!' said Radagast. In all honestly, I'd expected him to be a little more, I don't know, _hippy-ish. _He worn pretty much the same clothes as Gandalf, only moss green, dirtier and covered in leaves. As well as this, he had a large drip of bird poo falling down his grubby, wild face. 'Something's wrong - somethings _terribly _wrong'.

'...Yes?'

Radagast held up his hand, opened his mouth and then paused, looking quite lost. He attempted to speak once again, but faltered. 'Just a minute - _oh!_ I had a thought, and now I've lost it! It's _right there, _on the _top _of my _tongue!'_

'Is it just me,' I had whispered quietly. 'Or do you guys _seriously _want what this guy is smoking_?'_

Fili coughed out a laugh beside me.

'Oh!' said Radagast. 'It's not a thought at all! It's a-' And Gandalf, looking far too calm, pulled out a wriggling, _real _stick insect from inside the Brown wizards mouth. 'Stick insect! finished Radagast happily.

I bit back a gag, shaking my head slowly. 'If he starts pulling bugs out of anywhere else, I'm _leaving'._

Fili elbowed me in the side, and I swallowed a smile. Gandalf then shot me a disproving look, took Radagast by the elbow, and led the bumbling Wizard a few meters away, ensuring that we could not hear their conversation.

'What do you reckon he saw?' I asked Fili, who looked away from the muttering Wizards and down at me. Seriously, how was it that his braided hair was in perfect condition, while my below shoulder length hair looked like a rats nest?

He shook his head. 'Who knows? I do not try and understand Wizards and their cryptic ways'.

I nodded. ' 'Nuff said'.

'May I study your blade?' he asked suddenly. I nodded, handing it him with my up most permission. Fili's blue eyes ran over the sword, until he sharply withdrew it from the scabbard, making me jump. He half smiled at me, his eyes twinkling. 'You are fortunate to find a sword that suits you so perfectly,' he commented, handing it back to me with a secret smile.

I took it slowly, eyes narrowed. 'What do you mean by _that_?' I'd asked, suspicious.

Fili shrugged, nonchalant. 'I simply mean that while the sword runs hot and cold, so do you,' he grinned, stepping away from my quick slap. His eyes traveled to a place over my shoulder. His smile grew. 'You will have to excuse my brother, he is rather slow and dimwitted at times. To makes things clear with him, you will have to make your intentions obvious'.

The fast change of subject spun me about, making me all confused. 'Huh?'

All of a sudden, a sharp, raspy howl broke through the chirping of birds, and the drawl of the Dwarves. There was brief silence, in which I squeaked quietly, stepping closer to the alert Fili.

'Was that a wolf?' asked Bilbo quickly. 'Are there- are there _wolves_ out there?'

Bofur stepped in front of the Hobbit, holding his weapon close to his chest. 'A wolf? No, that is not a wolf-' His point was proven quite clearly then, due to the large _dog-_like creature that prowled over the top of the ground above, it's mouth open and a growl erupting from deep within its throat.

'Oh, bugger-' I was pushed roughly to the side by Fili, my back smacking against the dirt wall behind me. The creature bounded down, straight past all of us and into the awaiting sword of Thorin. 'Oh. My. God,' I panicked, pushing myself away from the wall, just as another one appeared. It was shot down by Kili, who'd strung his bow and arrow, subsequently making it skid to a stop at my feet, dead. I bumbled backwards, finding myself back-to-back with the filthy wall once again.

'Sweet Lord!' I'd yelped. Everything happened quite quickly from then on out, as if every nerve in my body was telling me to be _quick, _as if the adrenaline was being pumped heavily through my veins.

Don't be mislead, I didn't turn into, like, _Xena_ or anything.

'Millie!' yelled Kili, suddenly appearing on the other side of creature, presenting me with his open hand. 'Come! Quickly!' I bit back, once again, a gag, pressing my foot firmly against the stomach of the large, dead creature, catching Kili's hand in mine, and promptly tripping to his side. 'Are you alright?' he asked.

'I'm fine!' I stuttered, pushing myself upright by using his shoulder as support, just as Thorin shouted,

'Warg scouts! Which means an Orc pack is not far behind!'

'Orc pack?' stressed Bilbo, just as I let out a long moan. _Orcs. _I had hoped - _prayed _- that they would not appear in The Hobbit - I had been wrong, it would seem. Apparently every nasty mystical creature was going to pop in to say hello once a day.

'Who did you tell about your quest, beyond your kin?'' question Gandalf urgently, addressing Thorin. The King sent the Wizard an angry look.

'_No _one'.

Gandalf still seemed pretty peeved. 'Who did you tell?!'

'No one, I swear!' Thorin stared at Gandalf, troubled. 'What in Dorin's name is going on?' he had demanded.

Gandalf stated a fact that had my stomach running cold. 'You are being hunted'. He scanned the area, turning away from the King. I caught the eye of Bilbo, who swallowed tightly, mirroring the same fear that I felt.

'We have to get out of here,' growled Dwalin.

'We can't!' cried Ori, appearing out who knows where, tripping over his robes. Kudos to him, though, I could _never _have run in those things. 'We have no ponies! They've bolted!'

I'd pushed my hair back, muttering an angry, 'can _anything _else go wrong, really?'

Radagast addressed us all when he said, 'I'll draw them off,' with a sneaky, freaky look that had me stepping sideways away from him. Sure, he was going to save us, but the guy was on some hard drugs. He _must_ have been.

Gandalf seemed to find the idea both stupid and pointless. 'These are Gundabad Wargs - they will out _run_ you'

'These are Rhosgobel Rabbits,' replied Radagast with sass that I could only admire. He jutted his chin up at Gandalf, clutching his staff tightly. 'I'd like to see them _try_.'

'You are _totally _getting invited to my birthday party,' I told the Wizard, who mounted his 'sleigh' and spoke quietly to his rabbits. The Wizard glanced at me, gave a swish of his fingers, a giggle, and pulled heavily at the reigns. The rabbits sniffed the air and shot forward.

And then he was gone.

'I can only hope that he will be safe,' muttered Gandalf. He turned to us all. 'Come! He has bought us time, but they may still find us. We must hurry, if we wish to outrun them and find safe passage!'

And run, we did.

Within half a minute, I was panting heavily, struggling to not trip over the many twigs and rocks that were scattered on the ground. The Dwarves ran so close together that I was, thankfully, pushed along with them. Despite this, my chest heaved and my heart hammered.

'I'm starting-' I huffed. 'To _seriously _regret bunking Physical Education!'

The howling of the Wargs was the only thing that kept me running. That, and the sudden appearance of Kili's hand tightly grasping my own. 'Save your breath!' he yelled, pulling me further along. I didn't know whether my legs could take much more. The Dwarves were _fitter _than me, and here I was, a University student who had smoked, drank and _ate _most of her fitness away.

The world had dissolved into running feet and labored breaths. I hadn't really thought much about _where _Gandalf was leading us, all that had really mattered was that we _all _get out of there safely, away from the Wargs and the Orcs.

I didn't really fancy, once again, becoming _Millie Mozzarella. _

* * *

**I'm awful with time zones, so I don't know whether it's already 2013 or nearly that in other countries (I know, I'm thick), but here in England it's New Years Eve, meaning I might be suffering from a...'headache' tomorrow, and therefore there may not be a new chapter.**

**Knowing me, I'll probably update anyway.**

**Anyway, thank you so so so much for the reviews! I can't believe I went from being on nearly 100, to over 100. You guys are amazing, keep reviewing, please!**


	9. Santa's Little Helpers

'I think I'm gonna throw up'.

I hadn't _expected_ anyone to reply, nor understand what I was saying. My breaths were so labored from running, that both my thoughts and speech were a jumble of unintelligible words and grunts.

I sounded like my mother with a hangover.

We stopped suddenly behind one of the many large rocks that were dotted around the landscape, and I bolted suddenly into the back of Bombur. 'Sorry,' I gasped out. 'How am I so unfit - _how?' _I'd muttered to myself, placing my hands on my knees and bending over.

Gandalf, who was leading us all, peeked around the rock, and spied out the Wargs and the Orcs, who all followed Radagast and his rabbits. After a moment of making sure we could safely run, he started forward, ordering a brief, 'come!'

My whole _body _groaned at the thought of more running, but as the rest of the Dwarves started forward, so did I. They all held their weapons in their hands, ready to strike should an attack come our way, but I was far too wary of accidentally jabbing Snowthorn into the wrong target. A.K.A, one of the Dwarves. Many a time I found myself sinking slowly to the ground, only to be yanked up again with a shout of, 'Millie, keep _running!'_

It was these words that made me want to punch whoever it was in the face. But, alas, I would too tired to do so.

I was vaguely aware of Ori almost running straight off of a cliff, only to be yanked back by the alert Thorin. Again, we were turning in the other direction and _running. _As I ran, I remember thinking of my cosy bedroom, my cat and the leaves that Balin had given me to help brush my teeth, oddly. I wondered if we would _ever _stop running, and if, when I took my boots off, my feet would look as bad as I felt.

It was Kili who took me by the arm once again and pulled me with the rest of the group against one of the rocks. I hadn't even noticed that he had _stopped _holding my hand.

As we pressed ourselves quietly against the wall of the rock, there was a growl and the patter of footsteps behind us, and I realized that _one of them _was perching just above our heads. I'd closed my eyes tight, trying to remember a time when I had been completely unaware of the reality of Middle Earth.

Back when I thought Gollum was called Dobby, and Dwarves were names Happy and Grumpy and Sleepy.

I opened my eyes when I felt Kili's hand run down my arm, give a quick squeeze, until he quickly pulled away. When I looked at him, he was staring fixedly at the ground, slowly pulling a bow from his quiver. In my state of exhaustion, I was madly and stupidly attracted to him then. The others were staring at him too, all nervous, until he finally jumped out from our hiding place, strung the bow, and sent a quick death toward the terrible Warg.

Only thing is, it _didn't_ die. It just fell to the ground beside us, writhing and growling, smacking itself against the grass in an attempt to climb to it's feet.

And with its screams, came the howls of the others.

The Orc that had sat atop the Warg had sprung forward quite suddenly then, and I'd let out a yelp of disgust, wildly reaching for my sword. My hand was only just on the handle by the time the others had smacked it to the ground, leaving it bloody and _dead. _Soon after that, the Warg followed. That time, the salty and foul taste of bile hit my throat, but I breathed in deeply, willing it away.

If I threw up on Thorin, the guy would pretty much, like, _banish _me.

I stayed pressed against the wall until the howls of the Wargs had become so loud and so _scary _that I forced myself to open my eyes and say, 'are we _going_, or _what?!'_

For once, they all seemed to agree with me.

'Move!'

_'Run!'_

'I feel like I'm in_ Temple Run!'_

When we stopped a short while later to pinpoint the exact position of the Wargs, I _did _yank my Snowthorn out of my belt, too terrified and too _proud _to face these things unarmed, should it come to it.

Bloody hell, I really _wa_s turning into a Dwarf.

'There they are!' shouted Fili, and then we were running again. This time, I ran beside Bilbo, who was equally as unfit and terrified as I was. Thorin, at the lead, had us stopping short once again. My tired eyes found the reason, and my stomach dropped with terror.

They were surrounding us.

The Dwarves, Gandalf, Bilbo and I were all spread about, looking wildly at the surrounding Wargs, our weapons drawn and our shouts hoarse. 'Kili, _shoot _them!' shouted Thorin, voice loud and scratchy and maybe even a little panicked.

'Where's Gandalf?' shouted a Dwarf, and I'd immediately caught onto this new problem. The heck _had _the Wizard disappeared to, in such a short space of time? If he'd ditched us, I was _so _gonna go all kinds of Mafia on his ass.

'He's abandoned us!'

I held my sword even tighter, my hands shaking with the grip.

Suddenly, I heard the _whoosh _of an arrow flying through the air, and realized that Kili was behind me. How was he _always _there? Always hovering, always dragging me back from danger. Either the guy was a stalker, or he just had a serious hero complex. I caught his eyes, and he kind of did a weird nod thing at me, like he didn't quite know how to comfort my shit-scared expression.

Slowly, as the Wargs began descending, we all moved closer into a circle. I couldn't take my eyes off of the drooling, growling beasts and the _things _that were riding them. _You're not meant to be real. Some guy put you in a movie and made you look real. Why are you _real, _you gross little shits?_

_'This way, you fools!'_

'The heck are you calling a _fool?' _I'd yelped, pausing only to be sure it was Gandalf, and then following the others to his location. 'Come on, move!' shouted Thorin, working his way over to Gandalf, who stood between two rocks, half hidden. The King stood at the top of the rock, ordering his men to go in first. I watched as they each disappeared, sliding into the crevice.

_Huh. That's handy._

I stopped short in front of Thorin, who gave me a mad look. Turning swiftly, I put away my sword and spied out Kili, who had still been shooting arrows at the fast moving Wargs. 'Kili!' I'd shouted, feeling both angry at his _complete _inability to be a _tiny _bit level head. The dark haired Dwarf turned. 'Move your _arse!'_

Thorin had taken me by the wrist then, dragging me back and practically _throwing _me down the hole. I'd smacked rather ungracefully into Gandalf, who'd given a little huff of annoyance and helped me to my feet. Soon after, Thorin and Kili threw themselves down the hole, and I'd moved aside quickly. Relief flooded through me at seeing the Dwarf safe, and it's not hard to guess which one.

Seconds later, there came the long blow of horns.

'Who's that?' I muttered, swaying a little on my feet. I don't think that I had ever been _that _exhausted and sick with shock. Every inch of my body ached, and I had been pretty sure that I was going to spew any second.

Then a dead Orc had flown down the hole, landed on the ground near my feet, and I had turned swiftly away from the sight, holding a hand to my mouth and shaking my head with horror. 'Gonna be _sick,' _I'd murmured into my filthy hand. It was caught by Kili, who quietly took it from my face, observing a low and blunt,

'You look awful'.

I shot him a look, taking my hand from his grasp with a huff. 'I _know_ thatI do, you don't have to point it out'.

The sound of an arrow being yanked from the flesh of the Orc was quite possibly the most repulsive thing that I have _ever _heard. I turned to see what had happened, but Kili pushed my shoulder back, making sure that I did not turn. I nodded, knowing that he was right, and closed my eyes against the sickness. 'Elves,' grunted Thorin, oblivious to my quiet gagging.

'I cannot see where the pathway leads,' shouted Dwalin, walking down the pathway of the rocky interior. 'Do we follow it, or not?'

Bofur answered with eagerness, 'Follow it, of course!'

I'd opened my eyes as the company began to move forward, more than ready to get away from the smelly corpse and the Elves outside. I just wanted to _sleep _and _eat _and do anything else that would bring me relief or comfort. As we all squeezed down the path, I heard Fili whisper to Kili, 'good shooting, little brother,' in a teasing manner.

The ceiling began to open up in a jagged crack, revealing the sky above. Distantly, I began to hear the sound of a waterfall, and the kind of quiet that's almost pretty and _yoga_-worthy. Then, as we broke free of the confines of the pathway, I first saw it. You could practically _hear _the angels singing and the harps ah-playing.

'The Valley of Imladris,' said Gandalf, with a kind of 'I told you so' attitude toward us all. 'To the common tongue it is known by another name'.

'Rivendell,' said Bilbo, awed by what he was seeing.

I leaned heavily against the wall, grumpy and tired. 'Dude, whoever decorated this place must be _rakin' _in the money,' I'd said._ Kudos to you, once again, Mr Jackson__. '_Do, like, _fairies _live here or something?'_  
_

'Elves,' said Gandalf.

'Even _better,' _I'd muttered.

Thorin went all 'Kingly' then, and started grumbling to Gandalf about 'sleeping with the enemy' or something. Okay, he didn't say _that, _but it was something along those lines. If there was anything that I'd picked up in my time with the Dwarves, it was that they _hated _Elves. They were 'betrayers' or 'cowards' or whatever Thorin felt like calling them that day.

Today, it was 'the enemy'.

I zoned out for Gandalf's sass-back argument to Thorin, but Ori gave me a quick prod in the right direction once it was, apparently, time to make our way down the hillside and toward Rivendell.

* * *

'Do you know what I could _kill _for right now? A _twinkie. _I've had one, like, _twice _before and whew, kudos to the Americans, because _dang'. _I cast a look sideways to Fili, who only stared back, unresponsive. 'I miss nice food,' I told him bluntly, in the only way that he could understand.

'Then I think we can all sympathize with that, lass. I'm getting quite tired of beans and soup myself,' said Dori. There were murmurs of agreement.

Although my body ached, I was tired and I was pretty sure I was going to pee myself any second, I smiled brightly at Dori. If any of them actually _replied_ to me in a way that was not sarcastic, annoyed or complete silence, then they were pretty much my best friend.

We moved into a line, walking with timidness across a small bridge, shadowed by some pretty intricate, angry looking statues. On the other side of the bridge, was Rivendell. Light, beautiful, majestic, _pretty _- they are the words that I would use to describe the place. Having been surrounded by the boring and the mundane for my nineteen years, Rivendell was like a fairy tale.

The other Dwarves had been holding back their awe though, far too prideful and petty to admit true beauty when they saw it. And simply because it belonged to the _Elves._

_Where are the little things anyway? I wonder if they look like Santa's Little Helpers, or _Leprechauns_? Maybe they have bigger beards than the Dwarves, maybe _that's _why Thorin is all iffy with them. _

_Well, that and the fact that they ditched him in the middle of a battle and all jazz._

The Dwarves all gathered in the courtyard, all hostile toward their surroundings. I bit back a smile and turned away from them, continuing to stare around at the prettiness of the place.

'Well, I don't know about you guys,' I'd told them. 'But this place is pretty swanky, ain't it?'

'Mithrandir!'

Simultaneously, we all turned toward the dark haired man walking toward us, hand placed on his heart. For a moment, I had wondered what on earth he had said, and had been halfway through saying, 'Bless you?', when Gandalf greeted the man right back.

'The heck does 'Mithrandir' mean?' I'd asked quietly, as Gandalf conversed with the man. 'And who's _that?'_

'Mithrandir' is what the Elves call Gandalf,' said Gloin gruffly. 'Do not ask me what it means, I am not familiar with the peculiarities of the Elves'.

'Oh'. I started. '_That's _an Elf?'

Kili sent me an amused glance, looking down at my face. 'What did you think an Elf would look like?'

I blinked at the tall, dark haired man, with his curved pointy ears and his graceful kind of beauty. He still spoke with Gandalf. 'I don't know,' I'd answered Kili. 'Kind of-' I struggled for words. 'Goofy midgets with pointy hats and shoes-'

A horn blared through the air, and I'd jumped rather ungracefully. The eyes of everyone turned toward the bridge, where many horses ridden by many Elves came galloping over. For a moment, it looked quite cool...but then they didn't _stop _galloping. Joy, _more _trouble.

'Oh, for _God's _sake-'

'Move together, form ranks!'

Both Bilbo and I were pushed into the middle of the group, while each of the Dwarves surrounded us against the threat of the Elves. Even a few of the younger Dwarves were pushed back by the elders, as if trying to protect them. Fili pushed back Kili a little with the hilt of his sword and my heart melted into goop at the show of affection.

The Elves began to circle us on their horses, staring down at us with their pale, angelic faces, seeming like giants.

'I hate being short,' I muttered.

The Dwarves raised their weapons, while one Elf turned on his horse to face the grey Wizard. 'Gandalf!' he greeted.

_So Gandalf is like the Regina George of Middle Earth. Everyone knows who he is and they, like, _worship _him._

'Lord Elrond!' Gandalf greeted the man, and then added something in a language that I could not understand, but now know to be Elvish.

The guy - Lord Elrond - replied in the same language, while I huffed. '_Rude,' _I'd muttered, in reference to the fact that none of us could understand what they were saying. Well, _I _couldn't.

Elrond dismounted the horse better than I _ever_ could. He babbled out something else as the Dwarves, Bilbo and I looked at the obvious bromance as the Elf and the Wizard hugged. Where Bilbo and I were curious, the Dwarves were more distrustful. ' It is very strange for Orcs to come so close to our borders,' said the Elf, casting a raised eyebrow look to Gandalf, who watched on innocently. 'Something, or _someone_, has drawn them near,' he carried on.

'Ah,' Gandalf said, as if finally realizing that - _whoopsy - __we'd _caused that. 'That _may_ have been us'.

The two tall men, Wizard and Elf, faced the Dwarven men, the Hobbit and I, while Thorin took a step forward, his face hard. Elrond's expression remained almost comically calm. 'Welcome Thorin, son of Thráin,' he said, far more dramatically than was needed. Did everyone here talk like they were in some made-for-TV, tacky film?

'I do not believe we have met,' Thorin said, and I could practically imagine the quirk of an eyebrow and the snap of fingers. If his voice was less bland, that is. Elrond looked on, and I could _tell _that he knew of Thorin's hate for the Elves, and found the fact quite amusing.

'You have your grandfather's bearing,' he said. 'I knew Thror when he ruled over the mountain,' explained the Elf. I slunk back into the group, though they all still surrounded me. I didn't fancy having the whole 'a woman?!' speech thrown at me once again. Not when I needed a pee, and I was getting the giggles because of this overly long greeting. Wouldn't a quick 'you alright?' have sufficed. No, of course not, we _had _to go on about Thorin's bloody family history - _again. _

'Indeed?' Thorin asked, though not in a friendly manner. 'He made no mention of _you'. _

_'_And _there goes _any chance of food,' I'd muttered, swallowing a smile.

Elf and Dwarf eyed each other, obviously both displeased with how the conversation was going. Finally, Elrond said something in Elvish, still staring at Thorin, and Gloin stepped forward, all testosterone filled and _super manly. _'What is he saying? Does he offer us insult?' demanded the ginger Dwarf. This only meant that the other Dwarves made outraged comments, demanding to know what Elrond had said.

'No, Master Gloin, he is offering you _food_,' said Gandalf slowly, while Elrond stared on, humored at the turn of events. This quickly caught my interest, and I stepped away from the Dwarves as they muttered things such as, 'fair enough', and 'I say we take it'.

I shot them baffled looks. 'Of _course_ we take it, it's _food,' _I reminded them loudly, once they had separated. 'I can't believe there was even a _discussion'._

'And what's this?' asked Elrond. I looked at him, caught off guard when I saw him looking at me, face a true mask of surprise. _Ugh, no. _'A female Dwarf? My, I haven't seen one in far too long'. He cast a sideways glance at Gandalf, while a few of the Dwarves huddled a little closer to me. I hid an abashed smile under my hand.

'This is Alexandria Millicent Fournier-' introduced Gandalf. _He remembered!_

'_Millie,' _stressed Kili from beside me.

'-Yes, yes,' said Gandalf. 'Who prefers to be called _Millie_, it would seem. I will apologize in advance for any inappropriate or unintelligible things that she will likely say, but please, shall we carry on with our hunt for food?' he asked Elrond, who looked away from me, and nodded once. Something told me that it wouldn't be the last time I spoke to the Elf.

'..._Hey!' _I muttered, half offended at what Gandalf had said, only just realizing what indeed he _had s_aid.

'It _is _true,' reminded Kili, leading me on with the rest of the Dwarves. He must have remembered my funny turn earlier, because his hand hovered near my back, and he began leading me along with everyone else.

I huffed and blushed out a, 'shut it, _beard-less'._

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it! The next chapter will be more my own writing on what the Dwarves do while Elrond goes over the map and all that jazz. I'm quite looking forward to writing it!**

**Only thing is, once I stop going by where the film ends, do you guys want me to go along with the book? I am kind of edgy about that, seeing as the film portrayed the events so well. Tell me what you think!**

**Thank you for the reviews and the follows, I can't believe who many of you there are! Thank you, thank you! Also, I got myself a Lord of the Rings/Hobbit Tumblr. If you want to follow, find me at kiliyousosilly!**

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**I just realized how many exclamation marks I did, whoops.**


	10. Sword Play And Baths

I had peed, and it felt _good._

So did sitting down.

Anyway.

'Try it,' insisted Dori to his brother, Ori. 'Just a mouthful, you might like it,' he reasoned, leaning toward his younger brother.

I laughed into my drink as Ori replied with a stubborn, 'I don't like _green _food'. I could _definitely _feel that, yet it was all of what the Elves had to offer. Forget Radagast, it was the _Elves _who were the true hippies of Middle Earth. They ate earthy foods, they played music, they floated around like they were stoned the all time - hippies, I'm telling you.

Dwalin picked up a pile of his own food, seeming genuinely upset. 'Where's the _meat_?'

'I could _die _for some garlic chicken right now,' I decided, flicking the vegetables on my plate with my fork. Gloin stared at a mushroom on his own fork, growling at it. 'Or pheasant. _No - _beef. Ugh, beef is so nice, and succulent, and _meaty-' _I haven't a clue what I was talking about, but I hadn't felt so..._merry _in quite a long time. I gave up on my 'food', and took another gulp of my berry drink.

We were sat on a balcony in Rivendell, the setting sun lighting up the sky. The view beneath us was something that I can't quite describe well enough. All I can say is that the Elves had _way _too much free time on their hands, to make Rivendell look so dark pretty.

'Do they have any chips?' inquired Ori once again, and I snorted while attempting to swallow, only resulting in a small cough.

Fili lent across the table, grabbing my cup and sniffing it. I snatched it out of his hands, glaring. '_Elvish _wine,' he announced, rolling his eyes. 'They shouldn't be giving you that, especially to a Dwarf so young'.

Gloin, leaving his dreaded mushroom behind, looked up. He looked almost gleeful. 'The lass is _drunk?'_

'I am not drunk!' I denied. Although, now that they mentioned it, I was feeling a little light-headed and tipsy. I'd only had two cups_, _how could I get drunk from _two cup_s?_  
_

'Elvish wine is stronger than other wine,' said Fili.

Just to annoy him, I took another, long gulp. 'I'm not a _young Dwarf, _anyway,' I denied, regretting the drink. 'I've been drunk before, therefore I am certain that I can handle this wine, _thank you'. _With that, I pushed both plate and cup away from me, standing. While I was bringing my leg over my chair, my foot got caught and if Kili had not sat down at that exact moment, pulling me down with him, I would have most likely fell flat on my face.

'You can hardly walk correctly while _sober_,' pointed out the dark-haired Dwarf, smiling cheekily at me. 'I wouldn't try it now'.

I righted myself, opened my mouth to deny any sign of drunkenness, then closed it again. 'Whatever,' I muttered, giving in. 'Where have _you_ been, anyway?' I asked, leaning heavily on my hand.

'Looking,' he said, shrugging. 'I wanted to get a good look at the place, before we left. I won't have any reason to come here again, I suppose'.

Unconsciously, I lifted the cup up again, only to have it snatched away by Gloin, who said, 'I think that's enough, lass'. I shrugged at him, and then turned back to Kili, who was smiling at me. I grimaced. 'I deserve a drink,' I defended quietly. 'Do you think that we'll be leaving soon, then?'

'I don't think that our Uncle will want to stay here too long,' he said.

'If anything, I imagine that we'll be gone by early morning,' added Fili, taking a gulp of ale. They_ were allowed to drink_. He caught my stare on his mug, and grinned. 'I am far more used to drinking than _you _are, Millie, seeing as I have had eighty-two years of practice'.

'So you guys are considered to be _young?' _I'd asked, baffled by the idea of it.

'Not _young-' _said Kili quickly.

Fili, perhaps the more level-headed of the two, cut his brother off with a dry look. 'We _are_, yes. Gloin's son, Gimli - who is sixty-two - was considered to young to join us on the quest, and he is only fifteen years younger than Kili'.

The name caught my attention. Drunkenly, I said '_Gimli? _Gloin has a son called _Gimli?'_

Thankfully, the Dwarf in question was busy talking with Dwalin and did not hear me. Fili and Kili, though, gave me startled looks. 'Yes. Do _you _know him?'

I knew the _name, _of course. Despite my complete lack of knowledge with the movies, I _knew _the name Gimli. '...No,' I said, feigning an ignorant look. 'I just...liked...the _name_'.

I put my stare quite solidly to the darkening sky outside.

'You are a horrendous liar,' said Fili, his mouth twitching. 'But we will not press the matter. Anyway, I have something that I wish to discuss with Balin'. He gave a little head bow to me, and then hard look to his brother, which I had not noticed, due to my complete disinterest in anything that was not food or drink.

When Kili turned back around, I was idly sipping from a cup of Elvish wine. He snatched it from my grasp and put it on the other side of himself. 'Where are you _getting _these cups from?' he asked, half laughing, half serious.

I shrugged. 'I don't really know, actually'. With the kind of bravery that you only acquire while half drunk and surviving a near death experience, I reached up touched the end of his long hair. 'You know, where I'm from, guys don't normally grow their hair this long. Normally I wouldn't like it, but you quite suit it, you know'.

Kili smiled softly. 'In case you haven't noticed Millie, Dwarves tend to have their beards and hair quite long. The women, those who do not have beards and those who do, tend to grow out their hair'.

I blinked at him, dropping my hand. 'I guess I'll grow out my hair then,' I murmured. 'I wanted to anyway. Why don't you have a beard?' I'd asked bluntly.

'Because,' he said, rows raised. 'I am an archer, and I wouldn't want my arrow to get caught within my beard, would I?' I considered this, then nodded, wondering how I hadn't figured it out before. 'Why don't _you?' _he asked playfully.

I touched my hairless cheek and chin. 'I don't know, actually. Gandalf had wondered that too, when he found me. I mean I'm beardless, young, _and a _Dwarf woman, no wonder Elrond and you lot had a freakin' fit when you first saw me'.

'It _was_ odd,' agreed Kili. 'Other than my ma, and a few of the other women living in the Blue Mountains, I had never seen a female Dwarf before, let alone one that is not _especially_ hairy'.

'You have a mother?' I'd asked, stupidly.

Kili gave me a pointed look as he drank, swallowed, and then said, 'most _do_, Millie. Her name is Dis, Thorin's sister'. He paused. 'She was very wary about letting me go,' he said, almost _confided. _If the others new of what he said, they would tease him, as they already did about his young age.

_Feel my pain, Kili._

I smiled easily, leaning against the table beside me. The drink had been making me sleepy. 'She _would_, wouldn't she? You're the youngest, you _are _the baby. My mum still does that with me, but only because I'm the only child'.

'Do you miss her?'

I shrugged, not know what else to do. 'Well, _yeah. _She's my mum, isn't she? I miss everything, really. Everything's so unfamiliar here, it freaks me out sometimes'. I shrugged once again, not exactly _feeling _the whole emotional situation.

Kili stood quite suddenly, causing me to jump and looking up at him, startled. 'Where are _you _going?' I'd asked, a little disappointed to see him go.

'_We,' _he said, offering me his hand. 'Are going to the training yard. I saw it while I was walking around, and I thought it would be the perfect place for you to test out Snowthorn'. He nodded to my sword that was still strapped to my side.

I grin lit up my face. 'You reckon?' I asked, taking his hand.

'I do,' he replied, pulling me up beside him. 'We're going to test out Millie's skills with a blade,' he said, addressing the mess of eating, laughing Dwarves. Ori had settled with simply drinking away his hunger.

'_If_ they exist, that is,' snorted Gloin, to which I simply kicked the back of his chair lightly.

_Ugh, Dwarves._

* * *

'What time is it?'

Kili glanced up at the sky, still poised in an attack position, his thick sword held tightly in his hand. I know how that sounded, but it's near impossible to talk about swords without _some _innuendos coming up. 'Judging from when the sun went down, I would say that it is nine o'clock'.

I groaned loudly. 'So we've only been at this for an _hour and a half?'_

He grinned, relaxing his position and approaching me. I stood with my back leaning against a white stone wall, wiping sweat from my forehead. 'Yes. Come on, we've barely covered the topic of stances. Millie, _come on,' _he said sternly, standing in front of me.

I smiled lazily, reaching for Snowthorn. 'Oh, how I _love _it when you get all bossy'. He shot me a strange look, to which I simply shrugged. 'Come on, show me how to stand properly when swinging for an Orc, then'. He did, and it took around fifteen minutes for me to finally perfect a look that did not, as Kili had said, 'look like I was trying desperately to hold in my bladder'. At that, I had laughed so hard that we'd had to begin again.

'That's it!' said Kili, pulling away from me and studying my form. His scent of - strangely enough - something akin to coffee was swept away. 'Now, attack me'. My stance fell away quickly. 'Well, don't _attack me. _Take a swing'. I hesitated. 'Come on, I've been in _Orc raids _before, I'm sure that I can handle an attack from you. Don't _look _at me like that, you know what I mean'.

I sniffed. 'It _sounded _like you were trying to call me _weak'._

Kili rolled his eyes. 'You are far from weak. Come _on_, I'll block it'.

I did as was told, and took an unpracticed swing at Kili, who blocked it easily and with barely any movement. After that, it was the repetitive dance of swing, then block, swing, then block. Half an hour later, I was practically falling over from throwing myself at him so many times (then again, who wouldn't?).

'I'm gonna die the moment I get into any kind of fight!' I moaned, holding my sword in my hands and wiping away yet another bead of sweat from my forehead. My cloak lay forgotten on the floor, and the sleeves of my dark shirt were rolled up above my elbows. 'And don't you say 'we'll protect you', because then _you'll _probably die all _gallantly_ while protecting me, and ugh, is this like a Shakespearean play or _what_-?'

I hadn't even noticed him approach me again, but his hand was touching the side of my cheek, cutting of any of my next words. 'I _would _die to protect you,' he told me. 'Even if you _knew _how to fight. I would do the same for my brother, and for my Uncle. Dwarves have a strong sense of loyalty to those that they care about, Millie'.

I blinked at him, hyper aware of how sweaty I was, how he had said the word _care_ and how my chest was heaving and my heart hammering. In all honesty, I wasn't totally sure whether the last two were from the exercise, or from Kili being so close to me, and saying _those things._

'Oh,' I said, stupidly. Then, 'I've gotta yawn'. Kili smiled widely at that, and shook his head. I, myself, covered my hand with my mouth and let out one of those yawns that made your eyes water and droop a little.

'You should probably rest,' he told me, stepping away.

'We've barely done two hours!' I'd objected, before my brain could process the fact that he was _letting me go to bed. '_Fifteen more minutes, come on'. In the end, he agreed, and we worked on swinging and blocking once again, but more specifically blocking. In all honestly, I hadn't improved that much and my moves were still sloppy. Still, it was nice to know a few more things that could, potentially, save my life.

By the end of the fifteen minutes, I was right about ready to fall over from exhaustion. I couldn't believe that I had managed two hours of swordplay, after running for what seemed like ten million miles. Then, an idea occurred to me.

'I'm gonna go snoop out some place to go for a bath. They have those here, right?' Kili was halfway through putting away his sword when he looked up at me, all sweaty and gloriously _manly looking_.

'I'd imagine so,' he replied dryly.

'You know what I _mean_. Does it even _look _like Elves _ever _need to bathe? They're like freakin' super clean Vampires, and I'm talking about the alien 'eat my way out of mummy' kind,' I said, tying my cloak back around my neck.

Kili pushed his brown hair from his face. 'I don't know how to reply to that, so I won't'.

'Probably best,' I'd agreed.

'The bath houses are not far from here, I'll show you,' he told me, already starting out of the gate. 'In all honesty, you _do _look like you're in need of a bath'. He looked over his shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his dirty face. 'No offence meant, of course'.

I scoffed, catching up with him. 'Says _you'._

The bath houses were not far from the training ground, and in the end Kili agreed to wait for me outside, while I went into the 'ladies' bath area. Heck, even the design for a building containing some _tubs _was pretty extravagant, and upon walking inside, I saw that the room was filled with steam, large tubs, and plants. The walls were also pretty delightful, all intricately designed and white and just..._wow_.

Thankfully, the place was empty. I hadn't really fancied exposing my body to a bunch of beautiful, tall Elf women. I hadn't _bathed in weeks, _so let me tell you, upon ridding myself of my dirty clothes and sinking into the water...

Words cannot describe the feeling of the warm water, the _freshness. _I'd pretty much wept at the feeling of being clean and warm. I scrubbed away the dirt beneath my nails, in my skin, and on my hands, until I was red raw from rubbing so hard. I ducked my head deep beneath the water, emerging with wet, clean hair that smelt vaguely of daisies.

'Oh _my,' _I sighed, kicking my leg up above the water. Big mistake, I hadn't shaved my legs in roughly in a while, and _ew. _I reminded myself that _hair _was the norm among female here, since they didn't really have the equipment to shave their legs or, er, anywhere else. I sunk beneath the water, grumbling about how I felt like a she-wolf. 'Shakira, eat your heart out,' I'd muttered.

I hopped out of the water, dried myself on a cottony towel and slipped into my clothes as quickly as I could. After squeezing water out of my damp hair, I joined Kili, who was waiting patiently outside of the bath house, staring at the sky.

'Are you star gazing?' I'd asked, the picture of seriousness.

He shot me a bland look. 'No. _You _took long enough, though I suppose you _do _smell and look infinitely better'.

'Better than _you,' _I'd sassed back, flicking my hair and promptly tripping over in the process.

Kili bit back a smile.

We began walking up a pathway, leading up a small hill and back to the building where the rest of the Dwarves were. Happily, I'd expressed my feelings of being _clean._ 'I smell like _flowers, _man. _Flowers. _I haven't smelt of anything but sweat and dirt for the past few _weeks'. _I ran a hand through my wet hair happily. 'Man, I feel like a _woman,' _I announced, then realized that he would not get the reference and quickly shut up.

'If there aren't many Dwarf woman, then does that mean that there aren't many Dwarves in general?' I'd asked, hopping up a few of the steps. I was simply chatty because of the lasting effects of the wine, though I no longer felt _drunk_. I turned to Kili, who walked up beside me, not answering. 'Because, you know, _when a man loves a woman-' _my singing was, quite rudely, cut off my Kili's hand pressing firmly against my mouth.

'Will you be quiet?' he laughed. I licked the palm of his hand, and he snatched it away, still laughing. 'That's disgusting!'

I grimaced at him, swallowing hard. 'Ugh, don't tell _me. _I just licked your dirty Dwarf hands - _bleh,' _I gagged. That only earned a face full of hand, to which I simply swiped away. 'Come on, answer my question, you doofus'.

'What's _doofus, _Millie?'

I paused, not knowing what to say, and then settled with, '_you. _You are a doofus'.

He sighed, shook his head, and then answered my prior question with, 'There are fewer Dwarves than there are of population in other races, yes. Many of us choose not to marry at all, seeing as many are too involved with their crafting and such. Now that I think about it, you're quite the craftswoman yourself, with your needlework'.

I winkled my nose. 'Yeah, but that's _boring'._

He merely grinned and looked away from me.

The others were far quieter when we arrived, perhaps because Bilbo, Thorin and Balin had joined us once again, and were telling the others of what was to happen next. '-Lord Elrond read the Moon Letters himself. This is how I know that we will have to reach Erebor by the last light of Durin's Day-' Thorin ceased in talking, looking sharply up from the other Dwarves as Kili and I walked onto the balcony.

Well, I _tripped_ into the balcony and over my bag, which lay on the floor.

I coughed awkwardly, raising a hand and wiggling my fingers. 'Hi'.

The King looked from his nephew, then to me. 'Where have you two been?' he asked, spying out my wet hair and my cloak, which was folded in my arms. He looked quite alarmed. 'Kili?' he asked quickly. Fili coughed out a laugh into his hand, while his younger brother looked at their Uncle, realization at what Thorin suspected dawning.

'No-'

'Oh no _way_!' I cackled into my hand. 'You think-? I get that I'm not exactly the most _proper _of all women, but jeez, I'm not _that _easy, Thorin! Get your mind out of the gutter, my friend. I went for a_ bath _after _training with Kili, _not-' I picked my bag up off of the floor, placing it on the table. I waved a finger at the grumpy looking King. 'You should expect more than that from your own nephew,' I scolded.

'Yeah,' agreed Kili, grinning.

Balin groaned into his hand, while Thorin sent a Kili a wildly miffed off look. I, of course, was too preoccupied with stuffing my cloak into my bag. The air was cooler than it had been on the road, and I was looking forward to sleeping without the annoyance of my cloak.

'Anyway,' I said, clapping my hands. 'What was this about, er, _moon letters?'_

Kili agreed, pulling himself a chair and sitting heavily into it. I did the same, sitting beside him. 'Was Lord Elrond able to read the map, Thorin?' After that, I couldn't really understand a word that they were saying. There was just a lot of talk about moons and magic doors. It was all rather artsy fartsy stuff, if you ask me. Stuff that I couldn't be bothered with understanding.

They only stopped talking about the 'magic of the moon' when Elrond appeared at the arch of the balcony, smiling merrily at the Dwarves who did not return such kindness.

'I am sorry to bother your evening,' he said. 'But could I speak with Lady Millie?'

I'd blinked heavily, looking rather nervously toward the other Dwarves. I hadn't realized how much I relied on their familiar presences until then. Gloin raised his chin toward the Lord, asking a quick and rough, 'What do you be wanting with the lassie, if I may ask?' When I write what he said, it's sounds rather polite.

It wasn't.

Elrond smiled, merely a little amused. 'I simply wish to speak with her about matters that I am sure she is aware of. No harm will come to your Lady, my guests. I promise you that'.

What _matters?_

The way he said 'guests' must have reminded the Dwarves of whose house they were staying in, because they all quickly shut up and gave me some stern and pointed looks. Kili's stare was the hardest of all, and it made my stomach do a little flip.

'Er, right,' I said, standing and following the Lord. He waved a courteous hand in the right direction and I walked past him, sending the Dwarves and the Hobbit a startled look.

Guess I was on my own now.

* * *

**I liked this chapter, because I got to make up a lot of what happened. In case you're wondering, I've decided to go along with the book after all. You can thank all the reviewers that persuaded me for that ;)**

**Thank you for reviewing, we hit over 200! I don't even know how that happened, but thank you! Keep going!**


	11. Girl Talk With Fili

_Oh my God, Elrond looks like the guy from The Matrix. _

'Mister _Anderson_,' I muttered to myself, biting back a giggle as Elrond led me down a hallway. Honestly, every place in Rivendell was decorated so finely, even the hallway I had then walked down. Plus, there were zero windows, meaning you had this constant view from the open walls.

Elrond looked back briefly. 'Did you say something, Lady Millie?'

I shook my head, drowning my smile. 'Oh, no,' I replied politely. 'Er, if you don't mind me asking, what is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Lord Elrond?' _Remembered to say Lord, well _done_ Millie._

He paused and waved me into a room to the left of the hallway. I hesitated, then entered, soon followed by the dark haired Elf. It looked like an office of some kind, I guess. The room had a large, glass-less window, many books and a large, oak desk, topped with quills, ink and paper 'Please,' he said, gesturing to an armchair on one side of the desk. 'Sit. I insist'. He waited until I placed myself carefully onto the chair, before seating himself and continuing, quite bluntly.

'Gandalf the Grey has told me of your story, and I wish to discuss the matter with you,' he said. I sat up straight, hands balling into fists within my lap. 'Do not be alarmed, Lady Millie, I only wish to talk to you myself about your story. Gandalf seems to think that I will be able to decipher as to _why _you are here in the first place'.

I shrugged. 'Gandalf seems to think it's something to do with these Vular guys,' I replied.

Elrond smiled. 'Valar,' he corrected, and I blushed lightly. 'Please, tell me your story in full. I would like to know the events that transpired before your 'trip' to Middle Earth, shall we call it'. He then leaned back in his own chair, hands clasped, and waited.

'Oh, right,' I started, sitting up. 'Well, I guess it all started when I woke up quite late that morning, I suppose-'

And so I told him my story. I told him of how I hit my head, of how everything seemed to lead to that moment of me walking in front of that car. I told him of finding myself in Middle Earth, of the fact that I vaguely knew of it because it was the 'history' of my world. I told him that I was once human, that races such as theirs did not exist where I was from, and of how I had met Gandalf, Bilbo and the Dwarves.

By the end of my story, Elrond considered my words, then said, 'It appears you have had quite a few tiring weeks behind you'.

I snorted softly. 'You bet I have. So, what do you think? Why do you think I came here at all?'

Elrond leaned forward slightly, his long hair falling over his shoulder. 'I cannot be entirely sure, Lady Millie. From what I have gathered, you injured yourself before your journey here...' he trailed off, eyes boring into mine, hard. 'I do not wish to alarm with what I mean about to say, but you may have simply...passed on in your other life'.

I paused, sputtered, and practically tripped over while sitting down. 'I- nah,' I denied. '_Dead?' _

Elrond put on a sympathetic look that only made me mad, for some reason. 'It...seems a likely cause for such events,' he explained. 'Perhaps you _were _brought here for a reason, and perhaps for that to happen, you must become nonexistent before you _started_ that reason'.

I shook my head, stubborn. 'That's impossible, I mean...that would mean never going back'.

_Do you even _want _to go back anymore?_

Elrond switched subjects, sensing my oncoming fierce woman-tears. 'I find it most interesting that in the process of coming to Middle Earth, you yourself became another race of being, so foreign to your old self. After speaking with Gandalf, he also believes that this is, maybe, the body that you would have been born into, had Middle Earth been you home'. _Yeah, he's already told me that one. Get some new material, Gandizzle. _'From what I have seen, it is obvious that a fondness has grown between you and your Dwarven companions, as well as the Hobbit'.

'But what am I supposed to do to _help_ these guys?' I practically exploded, beyond frustrated and tired and _upset. _'All I've done so far is make the odd, unhelpful comment, eat, sleep and make buddy's with them. How's _that _going to help anyone?'

Elrond looked at me kindly, considering my words.

'Maybe it is your friendship that will help them in the end, Lady Millie. Have you ever considered that?'

* * *

Elrond had offered to escort me to the balcony, but I requested to walk alone, saying that I could probably find my way back. As well as that, he had insisted upon giving me my own room, but I had declined that as well. I hadn't fancied being too far from my Dwarves friends. The Lord had given a bow, I had thanked him, and we separated. I hadn't seen him for years after that, though at the time I had been quite sure that I would never see him again.

The Dwarves were smoking their pipes and chatting in twos and threes when I quietly stepped onto the balcony, my head hung in a mad attempt to hide myself from them. _Millie Fournier: Master of Disguise. _I plopped myself down onto one of the chairs, reaching for my boots and yanking them off. At the sudden, there was a penetrating silence. I glanced up.

Each Dwarf was staring at me, and I'd jumped, startled. '_Christ_, guys,' I muttered, kicking off the second boot. 'Round of a applause for the oh-so subtle ways of Dwarves'.

'Well,' muttered Dwalin. 'Go on then, what'd the _Lord _want?'

I chewed the side of my mouth nonchalantly, shrugged and tucked my feet onto the chair beneath me. 'Nothin' much. You know, a...chat'. I'd cringed lightly at the words, cursing my complete inability to lie.

The other Dwarves gave me dry looks, cocking their brows at me.

'The Lord of Rivendell,' said Thorin, turning away from the edge of the balcony to face me. 'Asked specifically for the company of a female Dwarf he has never met, simply to _chat_ with her. Forgive me if I do not believe you'.

I sent him an icy glare. 'You're _forgiven__'._

Dori snorted.

I prayed for the help of Gandalf to suddenly appear, but I knew that he would not. There I was, being bullied by Dwarves and a Hobbit into telling them something. 'Quit bully-circling me,' I muttered. 'Look, he only wanted to talk to me about my, you know, _home _or whatever'.

Thorin's sharp eyes were on my face, making me squirm. 'Do you always talk so vaguely?'

Purposely, I bit back a laugh and said, 'I dunno'.

Kili's hand moved quickly to his face, hiding his smile for his Uncle's benefit.

'Seriously,' I told Thorin. 'That's _all _we talked about. He was just all curious because I'm a girl and all that,' I said the sentence with heavy sarcasm. 'Seriously, am I going to get this every time I meet someone new?'

'Probably,' said Bofur.

'Joy,' I chirped.

The spell of questioning and stares was broken then, and the Dwarves all slunk back into their conversation of home, the journey ahead and anything else that they could muster up. Thorin considered me with a small glance, and, trying to be nice, I offered him a small smile, trying to show that I was not being _purposely _difficult.

He replied to this act with a simple nod.

'Are we sleeping here tonight?' I'd asked Kili, hardly surprised to find him by my side all of a sudden. He stood there, his long, leather coat quite absent. He wore a blue cotton shirt, having not been able to strip down for comfort when we slept in the wilderness.

He nodded, his eyes following the retreating Thorin. 'For a short time, you should be able to grab a few hours sleep. We've discussed it, and we will leave early in the morning. Thorin is not happy with Gandalf leading us here, into the aid of the Elves'. Kili, although he did not commonly voice his disgust for the Elves, seemed to agree with his Uncle. I wondered if it _was his _opinion though.

I looked up at him. 'Will we leave without Gandalf?' I'd asked, quietly.

He turned to face me, dark eyes looking upon my slightly worried face. 'If you wish to stay here, in Rivendell with him...'

My face immediately turned from troubled, to a large frown. 'Kili, _please,' _I said, holding up a finger. 'Of _course_ I'm coming with you guys. You'd never _survive _without my quick wit and feminine charm'.

Fili, from somewhere in the mass of Dwarves, let out a bark of laughter. Many of them were sitting against the wall of the balcony, idly smoking pipes. Others, such as Ori and Nori, were already fast asleep. Thorin spoke in low voices with Dwalin and Balin, while Bilbo stared over the wall and out into the houses of Rivendell. It was pretty obvious that the Hobbit had fallen in love with the place.

It just felt _too _perfect for my liking, despite it's beauty.

Kili smiled at me. 'You need sleep, Millie. Here, I've already set out a blanket- given to us by the Elves,' he repaired, glancing away from me and over to the blue sleeping bag in the corner, away from the table. I stared at the side of his head, grinning teasingly.

'You asked for one for me while I was gone, didn't you?'

He looked stubbornly away from me. 'I already received enough teasing for it from Fili and Gloin, please do not add to the load,' he asked, his cheeks dusted a light shade of pink.

I held a hand to my mouth. 'You're _blushing,' _I said quietly, though excitedly. I wasn't so mean that I would alert the whole camp. 'Oh my, the sarcastic, dark and charming Kili is _blushing'._

He opened his mouth, looking even more uncomfortable, but then a lazy, toothy grin plastered itself onto his face. 'You think I'm dark and charming?' he said, waggling his eyebrows down at me. My own smile disappeared and I stood, pushing his arrogant self out of the way.

'No, I think you're a doofus'.

'So you've said,' he replied, following me over to the blankets. Without so much as glancing at him, I fell into the soft, silky covers, burrowing my head into them and smiling sleepily. 'Comfortable?' inquired Kili, and I nodded happily, twisting my legs into the blanket.

I nodded to the spot beside me. 'Sit,' I said. 'You know the drill. Say something to make me fall asleep. Do Dwarves have their own language or anything?' I'd asked around yawn. I knew that they did, and to this day I do not know why I'd asked the question. The others were still murmuring to themselves, and it seemed that both Kili and I were glad for the privacy. Kili nodded, sitting beside me and leaning against the wall. 'Care to talk me to sleep?'

Kili half smiled down at me. 'The language is called Khuzdul,' he said, and then began saying something quietly in a rough, sharp tongue that sounded vaguely German. I'd sleepily told this to Kili, who shushed me, with a hand travelling to my chin, my cheek and then to my hair.

'Dn't tell'me t' _sh_,' I'd muttered sleepily, gathering the quilt into my arms and hugging it, falling asleep to Kili's low, sharp voice, the feel of his rough fingers stroking the top of my head, and the soft material of the quilt wrapped around my feet.

* * *

The next morning, we awoke early. Nothing of great interest happened as we gathered our belongings and took any leftover food from the table. Gandalf was still not back, and I silently assumed that we really were leaving without him as I tied my boots back onto my bare feet.

I'd felt infinitely better compared to how I had been upon arriving in Rivendell, as we set out the way we had entered. I was clean, rested and full of food (though most of it was healthy, _ugh)._

'I feel kinda bad - not saying thank you or goodbye, and all,' I said, as we walked along the side of a mountain path, glancing back to Rivendell behind us. The place practically glowed in the morning light, standing out from it's woodland, grassy, mountainous surroundings. Bilbo paused to take one last look at the Elvish House.

'I am sad to see it go,' he said quietly.

I glanced at him and nodded, understanding that he had become quite fond of Rivendell.

'Master Baggins, Miss Fournier, I suggest that you keep up,' called Thorin's deep voice, as he stopped to look at the pair of us. I'd jumped into action, popping into the line of wandering Dwarves. Bilbo simply looked at Thorin, and gave a little huff before following too.

I looked back once, only wondering what the journey ahead held.

* * *

'This is amazing,' I said, stopping carefully to stare out at the scenery. The Dwarves, Bilbo and I walked in a steady line along a mountain, high above any ground, and high above any of the mountains around us. The top of the mountain was slim, and would have been easy to fall down, had I not had the Dwarves surrounding me and the equally (but slightly less) inexperienced Bilbo.

'I've never seen anything like this,' I murmured, awed. The tops of the mountains below us were covered in snow, which we had already waded through hours before. We had climbed hills, sneaked under waterfalls, and in the past two days, we had made it far.

I had hardly spoken to Kili in that time, too mortified with my feelings for him. In case you haven't noticed, the _last _thing that I needed was a crush on a Dwarf, on top of everything else that had been chucked my way. I mean, I hadn't _ignored _him or anything. I had just been slightly less talkative and a _whole_ lot more awkward.

'_Don't _think it's such a good idea for you to be so close to the edge, lass,' said Bofur, quickly grabbing my forearm as I stumbled. 'We don't want you fallin' over the edge of the mountain now'.

I hastily stood away from the edge, thanking him.

'God,' I grumbled some time later, pulling my cloak tighter around myself with numb fingers. 'It's _freezing _up here-'

Fili, who I hadn't noticed retreat to my side, pulled me in front of him. 'I don't know how many times we have to tell you to not walk so near the edge,' he admonished tiredly and quietly. 'Now, _try _and not be so loud from here on out'.

I cast him a startled look over my shoulder. 'What? _Why? _I thought you were walking with Kili. _How _are you so _quiet,_ man, you just appear out of nowhere and manhandle me'.

The other Dwarves were hardly interested in our conversation, too fixated on climbing up the side of the yellow grassed mountainside that we had stumbled onto. Honestly, it _was _a hard climb, and I hand't fancied having a telling off from Fili while I was struggling to keep my breath, and look relatively fit at the same time. Shouldn't I have gotten used to walking by now, you ask? Well, I was a special kind of unfit.

'_Kili _is who I want to talk to you about-'

'Oh, _bloody hell,_ this _again_-?'

'Shush,' he said. 'In the name Durin, you're louder than a wailing _Goblin _sometimes'. I merely grinned up at him sweetly. 'Now, is there any particular reason why you've been so distant with my brother?'_  
_

I clambered up the hillside, reaching level ground and sighing. The others were ahead of us, and I spied out Kili among the oddly dotted Dwarves. Blandly, I looked at Fili. 'I didn't realize that I _was _being distant'.

Fili's look was unimpressed. 'Kili is my little brother,' he said. 'I have looked out for him since he was a babe, and although he does not like to admit it, he is under _my _protection. It has always been unsaid, but common knowledge that Kili would be the to carry on the line of Durin if Thorin never had children himself. If the time were to come when Thorin died childless - and if we took back Erebor - then I would become King, as the eldest Heir. Though I find it unlikely that I would ever marry or bare children'.

I sputtered, looking wildly at him. '_Fili, dude-'_

He shook his head and held up his hand, and I suddenly got a glimpse of the Heir of Durin. 'I just thought that you should know of the load that has been put on my brother. While I do not want to marry, I have therefore given my little brother the responsibility of creating more Heirs. This is all, of course, if Thorin does not have any children'.

I looked dryly up the grumpily trudging man ahead of us. I could hardly imagine Thorin playing with a young Kili and Fili, let alone his _own_ kids.

'If you _do _pursue my brother, Millie, then keep in my that Dwarves only love once in their lifetime, and that my brother has a responsibility to create Heirs, just as our mother did before us'.

My face was probably beat red by that point. 'Away from the subject of Kili and I creating little Dwarven _babies_-'

'Yes,' agreed Fili, cutting me off. 'I just thought you should know. What I _really _wanted to talk to you about is your intentions toward my brother. I have already told you that he is a complete dolt, and he only ever wants to impress Thorin. Falling for an odd looking and sounding Dwarven woman on a journey to reclaim our home is not exactly the _greatest _way to earn Thorin's respect'.

I sputtered loudly, whacking Fili sharply on the arm. 'I _beg _your pardon? _Odd looking? _Who's the one who braids his freakin' _facial hair? _If that doesn't s_cream _g-'

'You _are _odd though. Some may think that your oddness would be hereditary, actually'.

I threw my hands into the air, shocked and baffled at the turn of subject. 'Seriously? Do you want me to start naming our kids _now?! _I've barely even admitted to _liking-'_

Almost all of the company turned sharply at my loud voice and blearily blinked at the sunlight to peer at Fili and I. I blushed even deeper, waving away their curious, amused stares. I pointedly avoided the eye of Kili.

'I hate you,' I muttered to Fili.

'So you _do _have feelings for my brother?' he said triumphantly. 'I _knew _it_,'_ he grinned. 'The lad had preposterous ideas about you thinking him far too hairless and scrawny. Dwarven women usually look for the stouter, hairier males, you see. They also choose their _own_ mates-' he stopped himself, shutting his mouth and looking sideways at me. 'It's up to _you _to get the dolt to realize, Millie. He _is _an idiot, but you'll be lucky to have him. He deserves a little attention after being in my shadow for so many years,' he smiled cockily at me.

I ignored him, far too shocked at the new information. 'What, so it's all up to _me? _Do you want me to bloody _seduce_ him or something?' I whispered madly. Fili bellowed out a laugh. 'You can't tell him _anything _that I've said,' I ordered, suddenly panicked at realizing that _this was Kili's brother. '_I haven't_ once _said that I even fancy him, so don't you go twisting anything I _have _said-'

Jesus, how had a quest to kill a dragon turned into a bloody soap-opera?

'I will say nothing to my brother. I do not want to _worry_ him,' said Fili cheekily. 'Honestly, you _must _have realized that the lad felt _something _for you. The other Dwarves and I have been making small bets on how long it will take the two of you to stop tip-toeing around one another'.

I tripped heavily over a large rock, caught just before hitting the ground by Fili. 'You're _joking, _you little _bugger. Bets? _What is _up _with you guys and making _bets?_ Wait, that's why you're doing this, isn't it? To make sure that _you _win-'I cut myself off, only to shake my head angrily and breath in deeply. 'What did you bet on?' I asked, mildly interested and dimly annoyed. Fili purposely said nothing, and I growled. '_Fine. _And, in reply to you earlier question...'

I trailed off, unsure of whether I would sound like a fang-girl teenager if I went on. 'Well, he said he cared about me, and that he would...' I cringed at the words, realizing how bloody _corny _they were. I couldn't tell Fili about the whole 'I would die for you' conversation. That was too personal, that moment was mine and Kili's. 'That's it, actually,' I lied.

Fili snorted. 'I never realized that my brother was such a romantic'. He put an arm around my shoulders. 'Don't you worry, Millie. I'll give my brother a swift kick in the right direction'.

I opened my mouth, about to tell him that I would give _him _a swift kick if he didn't let go of me.

'Fili, Millie!' called Dwalin from the front of the Dwarves. 'Hurry up, there is a storm coming, and we will need to find shelter along the mountain pass'. I looked ahead, to where Dwalin was pointing, and saw the approaching shape of a rocky mountain side.

'Fan_tastic,' _I muttered.

* * *

**Next chapter will be longer, but woo, protective brother Fili! I hoped you liked it, and thank you so much for the reviews! I can't believe we're over halfway toward 300. **

**Review, enjoy, follow my tumblr **_kiliyousosilly._

**Thank you!**


	12. The Potato King

**The f-bomb is dropped in this chapter, just so you know. **

* * *

'Oh, well _this _was a bloody _brilliant _idea!' I screeched, holding desperately onto the rocky wall. 'Seriously, guys, _top_ notch thinking. I've always _dreamed _of walking along a _tiny _path on the side of a mountain in the middle of a freakin' _hurricane-!'_

'Will you be _quiet?' _snapped Dwalin from further along the line of Dwarves.

'No!' I bit back. I can now see that I was being obnoxious and rude. They were all in the beating rain, witnessing the claps of thunder and the flashes of lightening too. I was just simply terrified of falling down the steep and dangerous side of the mountain, though too proud to admit this fact to them.

'_Bilbo_-!' I yelped, suddenly panicking at the sight of the Hobbit falling forwards. The other Dwarves who were near him quickly grabbed the back of his coat, yanking him back to the 'safety' of the path. In the process of worry, my boots slipped lightly on the uneven, wet flooring. It wasn't a large fall, not nearly enough like the truly amazing swan dives that I had done so far, but Kili still grabbed my arm and righted me.

'_We must find shelter!' _roared Thorin from the head of the group, his mass of dark hair soaking wet. The others looked at him, shivering and shaking in agreement. Bilbo looked to have gone into shock at his near death experience.

Through soaking wet clothing and wet hands, I held onto the arm that Kili had grabbed me with. He looked briefly at me, and for a second I looked at him, letting him know how freakin' _scared _I was.

'Look _out!' _shouted Dwalin. For a split second, I hadn't any idea what he was shouting about, but my heart stuttered all the same. _Then_ I saw it. I saw the large, _huge _rock flying at the mountain side above us, and I felt Kili and Fili push me firmly against the wall from either side of me.

The rock broke against the mountain side, sending large and small pieces of boulder flying down upon us. The Dwarves shouted, shielding themselves with their weapons and their hands.

I closed my eyes tightly, gasping loudly as the whole world shook with the tremor. I was sure I was going to fall, that I was going to die. Sometimes, I would have nightmares about falling, but it was nothing compared to this fear. I was, at that moment, positive that I was going to plummet to my death. 'What the _fuck _was that?' I bellowed, gripping tightly onto one of the Dwarves - I'm still not sure whether it was Kili, or Fili, or both.

'That is not a storm!' said Balin, looking up. 'It is a thunder battle, look!'

I had been halfway through saying, 'I don't know what that _is,_ man', but then I saw it. It was like...a giant made of the stone of the mountain, pulling itself away from the rock. 'Oh my _God,' _I yelled against the wind and the rain. 'It's a bloody _Transformer, _oh my _God'._

_'Bless me,' _said Bofur, standing awkwardly forward. 'The legends are true. Giants, _Stone _Giants!;

'_This_,' I said, paling. 'Is the weirdest thing I have _ever_ seen...it's picking up a rock. It's _picking_- it's _throwing _the rock- there's _another _one!' And there had been. From the right of us, further along our own mountain side, a Stone Giant - as Bofur had called them - was slowly pulling itself forward, having, apparently, been attacked by the _other _Stone Giant.

'They're _fighting,' _I'd muttered in realization.

'By the wall!' ordered Thorin, and we all quickly did as told, pressing ourselves firmly against the wall once again. Fili and Kili shared a long look over my head, and I didn't have it in me to say anything to ruin their stare.

With the world rumbling and falling apart around me, the ground beneath my feet began to split.

I scream, _loudly. _Kili pushed me away from the growing crack, shouting, 'Fili!' His brother caught me and grabbed me by the forearms, pushed me safely behind himself. Fili yelled for Kili, and I caught the words, 'take my hand!' in my shock.

He'd saved me, yet again.

When I looked back, my hair whipping widely around my face, Kili was moving further away from us on what looked like a Stone Giants _knees. _He stared, scared, at his older brother, and then his eyes flashed to mine, and my stomach dropped with dread.

The group had been separated in half.

My stomach heaved as we began to move with the Giant, also standing on a Stone Giants bloody _leg. _This was worse than the trolls, worse than the Wargs and worse than even the _Orcs_. I held my bag tightly to me as it swung outward with the force of the moving giant. I wasn't sure what had happened to the others, nor what was happening to everyone else around me. I was only aware of grabbing tightly onto Fili's hand, and pressing my other against the wet, rocky wall behind me. Or Giant, rather.

There was a great jolt, and I'd thought that maybe the Giant we were 'riding' had begun to battle another. I didn't see, not with my eyes closed. That is what it had been doing though, in case you're wondering.

My fingers were numb with cold, though I had been sure that they were cut and bleeding my this point. Fili pressed my hand that he held tightly against the wall, covering it with his own. He let out a shout as the world was propelled forward yet again, and I was not entirely sure whether I screamed myself. Bilbo stood beside me, and I also knew that Ori, Bombur, Bofur and Dwalin were tagging along for the ride.

The wind whooshed past so suddenly that I snapped my eyes open, watching as we were turned heavily around, the wind and the rain splatting into our face was almost too much to bare. I had been sure that I was going to fall forward any second, but my muscles strained to keep me pressed against the wall. I think, that had in not been for Fili keeping me in place, I would have fallen.

Quite suddenly the others flashed into view, standing on a ledge opposite us. I spied them out, but my vision was too blurred with panic and rain. I saw Thorin, Gloin and, lastly, Kili, but then everything went so fast that my scream turned into a gag.

The knee of the Giant surged forward as it took a lazy, badly aimed hit from the other Stone Giant. I'd held tightly onto the wall and onto Fili, knowing that this could be it, as the opposite wall approached and I thought of my family, my friends and dark eyes.

But I didn't die. Obviously.

The knee of the Giant hit the wall, but from our place on the ledge, we were only propelled forward, though quite painfully. Fili was wrenched out of my grasp, and I, oddly, landed straight on top of Bombur, who caught me around the waist to stop me from slipping down the side of the mountain. I'd stayed frozen, too scared to move in case we were on _another _Stone Giant.

'No!' I heard Thorin shout, and almost fainted with relief. '_Fili_!'

The others burst into our pile of bodies, all sighing and gasping with relief. 'They're alive!' shouted Dori. 'They're alive!'

'And kicking,' I'd murmured, shaking heavily. In case you're wondering, I had still been lying on the heaving Bombur by this point. He was warm, and I couldn't quite bring myself to even attempt to move.

Fili's arm was on my shoulder before the others had fully reached us. 'Millie?' he'd asked.

I'd looked at Bombur, tears springing to my eyes hysterically. 'You caught me!' I had wailed, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek. The large Dwarf went pink despite the cold. 'And you!' I said, far too emotional. 'You made sure I didn't fall,' I sobbed, scrambling to my feet, grabbing Fili's collar and pulling him into a tight hug. He was, though, pulled from my embrace as Thorin took him into his own.

'Damn it all, boy,' he said, hugging his nephew tightly. I saw Kili approach too, yanking his brother away and hugging him tightly, no words spoken at all.

I, somehow, found myself falling onto my butt. I stayed there for a second, until Kili crouched heavily in front of me, splattered with rain, his hair sticking to his face. 'I couldn't _find_ you just then,' he said deeply, looking wildly into my face. 'I thought you'd fallen,' he said, and then pulled me into a strong hug. I wrapped my arms around him immediately, chocking on a half-sob, half-laugh.

He pulled back and looked at me, his lovely eyes really just _looking._ 'You're shaking,' he'd observed, and then he'd moved forward a little, and I did the same, my fingers curling into his raised hood, and his grasping my shoulder.

'Where's Bilbo?' said Bofur, anxiously and loudly.

The moment was broken and Kili pulled away, pulling me to his feet with him. I was too cold, tired and shaking to blush or worry over it. 'There!' sad one Dwarf, and most of them started forward, trying desperately to reach the Hobbit.

Thorin pushed them aside, swung himself over the edge and pulled the Hobbit onto safe land, only resulting in him himself slipping against the rocky edge. The others quickly yanked him to safety too, though the look on the King's face was of anger and bitterness.

They crawled onto the rocky floor, heaving. 'I thought we'd lost out burglar,' said Dwalin, and Bilbo looked at him, too scared to even reply.

'He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come,' Thorin spat out, climbing to his feet. At the hurt, broken look on Bilbo's face, I wrenched myself away from Kili.

'Will you _leave _him _alone,' _I snapped at Thorin, who turned to face me. Kili's hand tentatively traveled to my elbow, but I shook him off, hardly caring if I made a fool out of myself. 'It's not _his _bloody fault if Stone freakin' _Giants _knocked him off of a mountain, is it? _No!'_

'Listen here, girl. You do not _talk _to me in that manner-'

'Because you're a King?' I'd asked, ignoring the sure feeling of dizziness, shakiness and shock that was enveloping me. 'Well you're not _my _King! I'm barely even a bloody _Dwarf_ myself'. I'd stumbled back at his angry start forward, only to feel the harsh _whoosh _of blood roaring through my ears, the queasiness in my stomach and then a, 'I- I think I'm gonna-'

I was saved from looking even more like a mad fool, because I then fainted, quite promptly.

* * *

I blinked awake.

Then I remembered.

'Oh, _shit,' _I muttered, clumsily sitting up. I was lying in, what looked like, a cave. Around me, the other Dwarves were quietly talking and rifling through their things. My head pounded, and I gripped it tightly.

'You might want to go right ahead and faint again,' said Fili quietly, who sat beside me, looking through his pack. Kili sat to the left of me, back pressed against the cave wall. I looked away from him, remembering his face close to mine, and the fact that I had verbally abused his Uncle. 'Thorin wasn't impressed with your speech'.

I squinted at them, rubbing away the heaviness of my eyes. 'I'm not exactly impressed with myself either. I sounded like a _mad _woman,' I'd muttered angrily. I was still wet, and still aching quite a bit. 'I can't believe I fainted, that's so _pansy. Anyway, _how long have I been out, and where are we?' Those the were the two obvious questions.

Kili stared pointedly at me, and I felt myself heat up under his gaze. 'Fifteen minutes, maybe. You were in shock. You can blame _that_ on the Giants,' his mouth twisted into a crude smile. 'And we're in a cave that we found in the mountain, we needed somewhere to dry off and right ourselves. These mountain shelters are dangerous though. We'll be leaving soon enough'.

I swallowed tightly, aware of the other Dwarves around me, slowly shifting into their sleeping positions. Bilbo stood awkwardly amidst it all. I caught his eye, and he sent me a stare that said everything. _Thank you._ 'Is everyone pissed at me?' I asked Fili, turning away from the Hobbit after a short smile. 'I didn't mean what I said, I was just angry and, I don't know, _hormonal-'_

'Please,' said Fili, holding up a hand. He grimaced, and his braided mustache twitched. 'We believe you'. He shut is pack and twisted onto his back, putting his hands behind his head.

I smiled shrewdly. 'Sorry. Is everyone going to sleep now? You guys usually smoke some pipes and eat before you wade off into sleep-'

'It's not safe around these mountains,' Kili muttered, and I looked at him. Fili gave a sudden snort, indicating his quick submission into sleep. 'We won't want to stay here long. We'll also need to find Gandalf somehow'.

Aware of how quiet the cave had grown, I whispered, 'are you going to sleep, or are you on watch?'

He shook his head, still leaning against the cave wall. 'Bofur's on watch,' he'd explained. 'You and Fili,' he paused and swallowed. 'You almost died today'. I didn't say anything, frozen in my position. 'The next chance that we get, I'll train you more,' he said quickly, sliding onto the hard ground. I was going to say that Stone Giants had nothing to do with sword play, but swallowed my words.

'Kili,' I whispered, very quietly. I'd been awkward and embarrassed, but immensely cold and wet. 'Can I, you know...sleep next to you?' I realized that

A pause.

I was still sitting up, watch his turned back when he said, '...Yes'.

I shuffled over to him, half considering _spooning _his back and half considering just laying next to him like a plank. Thankfully, he put a stop to my dilemma and turned awkwardly to face me, aware of Fili's feet sticking into his legs, and Nori's head close to his own. I was far too concerned with finally reaching heat, that I barely thought of touching him as anything other than survival.

'You're _warm,' _I murmured into his wet chest. Despite the uncomfortable feeling of his dampness and mine combined, he was still something heated to burrow into, face first. His hand jumped back, surprised at how quickly and intimately I had dove into him. I muttered a, 'Bloody hell', and pulled away from him, grabbed his arm and tucked it around my waist. 'If you don't hug me, it's probable that I'll die of hypothermia,' I whispered factually to him.

'If it means the two of you would _shut up,_' said Dwalin, from amidst the Dwarves. 'Then bloody do as she says, boy'.

There was a muttered agreement from the others.

I blushed heavily into Kili's chest, while hearing a rumble of laughter emit from it. I remember thinking that I could get used to this. His smell surrounding me, his hand on me, his chin pressed lightly against my forehead.

It was a pretty alright. Yeah.

With those last thoughts lingering in my throbbing head, I had slipped into a sleep with worries of whether Thorin would ever consider me part of the group, whether the Stone Giants would be having a bitch fight tomorrow, and whether or not Kili tasted as he good as he smelt. And I'm not even ashamed to admit that the thought had crossed my mind.

I was nineteen, what do you expect?

I had dreamed, in that short sleep, of absent, unimportant things that really have no relevance to this tale at all. I was awoken though to Bilbo snapping 'quietly' - notice the apostrophes -, '-You're _Dwarves. _You're used t-to _this _life. To living on the road. Not settling in one place. Not _belonging _anywhere'. My mind was still half asleep at this point, though the fact that people were arguing registered slowly in my mind.

After a few moments of trying to decipher what Bilbo was saying, I gave up and pulled away from Kili's chest. I was closer to him, and his hand had traveled up in his sleep to rest higher up my back. He was peaceful in sleep, his face less hard. 'Kili,' I muttered, drawing a hand away from between us to poke his cheek. Groggily, I whispered once again, 'Kili. Bitches be arguing over there-'

Then quite suddenly, the ground beneath us began to groan.

My poking turned into a solid slap. '_Kili,' _I said loudly, at the exact same time Thorin whispered, 'wake up!'

Kili's eyes snapped open, met mine, and then - there was nothing in between - we were falling. Orange blurred, things banged, I slid against something, then free fell once again.

'_What. The. Hell?!'_

The Dwarves and the Hobbit all shouted around me at every angle. We were spinning, head first, then toes first. Then we were landing, quiet heavily, in what looked like a giant wicker basket.

I landed on top of Bombur and peered into his startled face. 'We have to stop meeting like this,' I told him. I sat up quickly at the sound of screeching and hard footsteps. I then saw them. 'Oh my God - a pack of _Dobby's!' _I had wailed, scrambling over the large, red haired man and directly onto Kili. My knee dug into his stomach, and he gasped loudly. '_Sorry!'_

Then, we were being yanked back, all of us. The 'Dobby's' hands and fingernails dug into my arms, passing me along like I was a bloody, I don't know, _bong. _'Quit being so _rough!' _I snapped, too shocked to even _be _shocked. 'My _God_ - poor hospitality much?'

'Millie!' said Kili, as I was pushed past him. From then, I lost all sight of him. Dwalin was pushed into my vision instead, and I solidly held onto his gaze, hoping that I was going where he was.

The Dobby's faces were at every angle. Ugly, marred and Orc-like, their high, whiny voices blared out a language that I did not understand as they passed us along their ranks. 'Oh my God you guys smell _so_ bad,' I moaned and ducked my head as one swung a sword that looked oddly like a human hand at my face. 'Ugh!'

They continued to push us through the cavernous place, their grabby hands touching me at every opportunity. I ducked my head after thinking about what those hands could do if they knew I was a _woman. _I lost sight of the Dwarves after that, but I could hear them around me, fighting back, as they should. I swiftly kicked the Dobby in front of me, and it yelped, stumbling.

I had kind of expected that harsh punch that hit me in my cheek.

'You hit like a _girl_,' I snorted, while Gloin growled out profanities in Dwarven, having seen the, er, _exchange. _It was nothing I couldn't take. Punches and kicks I could live with, it was if they started pulling out the weapons that I would get a little jelly-legged.

They continued to push us along, in a group, until we reach a great - and I mean freakin' _massive - _dome of a room, swarming with thousands of Dobby's, all dotted around the walls, the floors, the ceiling. 'Well, the shit has one and truly hit the fan this time, guys,' I observed, staring around at the fires that were, supposedly, held by the Dobby's.

We were pushed into a group once again, surrounded by the Goblins. Kili was beside me and his brother in a second, pushing me behind him and murmuring something to Fili. The eldest nodded, staring up at something that I couldn't see. Even among the Dwarves, I was still quite short. I looked past Kili, whose hand snaked around to hold me in place. Despite this, I saw _it._

'Who would be so bold as to come armed into my kingdom?'

I hid quickly behind Kili once again, but only to hide my alarmed and startled laugh. The..._thing. _It was huge, massive and so, _so_ ugly. From what I could gather from a brief glance, it appeared that its chin was _pregnant._

'Spies? Thieves?' Big Dobby's voice grew louder as he carried on speaking, his accusations becoming worse. 'Assassins?'

One of the particularly ugly Dobby's spoke up then, telling Big Dobby - who, in fact, was the Goblin King, and the 'Dobby's' his Goblins. I will start referring to them as such - that we were (quite bloody obviously) Dwarves.

'_Dwarves_?' asked the Goblin King, looking surprised in his ugliness.

'We found them on the front porch,' said the Goblin.

'Well don't just stand there, search them!'

The Goblins were, once again, touching me again, but much more vigorously this time. Heavily, they pushed Kili away from me, and began searching him too. They tore off my cloak, allowing themselves a closer look at what weapons I hid beneath it. 'Oh, _look,' _I said loudly. 'A _sword? _Well gee-whiz, I guess you're gonna take that, aren't you?'

They snarled at me, their boil covered hands and foul smell striking my bravery for a second. Kili bit out a, 'Don't _touch_ her,' but I merely looked at him, showing a small smile.

A Goblin reached in, taking my bag. Another turned all grabby-hands, trying to grab my sword, but stumbled back with a yowl upon touching it.

'_Oops_,' I cackled.

The Goblin King leaned forward at that, his large, bloodshot eyes spying me out. 'What are you _weeping_ at?' he asked the Goblin, who cradled his burnt hand. 'Take the the Dwarf's sword!'

'I cannot, my King,' said the Goblin, and I shrunk back at the Goblin King's interested, hard gaze. Kili's stood a little more in front of me, looking quite fearful himself. 'It _burnt_ me'.

The Goblin King paused, then smiled maliciously. '_Aglos_,' he had grunted through the yellow toothed smile. 'The sword that runs hot when taken by those it does not belong to. How did that fall into the hands of a Dwarf...a _she-_dwarf at that!' he cackled, leaning forward even further in his 'throne'. 'Oh, my little Goblin's, we have a _lady_ in our midst!'

The Goblin's shrieked, and Kili's hand found my wrist, his grip tight. All of his - and the others - weapons were gone. Only mine remained, and I could not fight away so many.

The Goblin King grunted something in an unknown language, and suddenly a small Goblin was pushing toward Kili, holding a sharpened, wooden stick to his throat. Kili growled out a Dwarven swear word, his grip on me slackening and falling away.

The other Dwarves shouted out words, pushing around each other. Fili let out a shout of anger, trying to reach his brother.

'What're you _doing_?' I'd asked, alarmed. I tried elbowing the Goblin out of the way, but Gloin pulled me back. '_Stop_ it!' I said desperately, watching as Kili fought away from the attack.

'Hand over your sword then,' replied the Goblin King, enjoying the show before him. I did not hesitate. Snowthorn was clattering to the ground within a second, and the Goblin's clambered to find it. 'Get the Bone Breaker! Break their bones, and start with the youngest!' he yelled out into the sea Goblins, and they all cheered along (and my startled, 'you ugly _bastard!' _came along too), until Thorin stepped forward with a, '_Wait_!'

The Goblin pulled away from Kili, and Fili pulled his brother back in worry, while I scrambled desperately for any part of him that my hand could reach. In the end, it was the end of his cloak.

The entire company, and the Goblins, fell silent as Thorin pushed his way to the front of the group. 'Well, well, well,' said the Goblin King, and his chin jiggled. I pulled a face, repulsed. 'Look who it is,' it carried on, looking at Thorin with wide eyes as he stood at the front of our group. 'Thorin, Son of Thráin, Son of Thrór - King Under the Mountain!' The Goblin King had done a 'funny' little bow. 'Oh, but I'm _forgetting,_ you don't have a mountain!'

'And you're not a _King_, which makes you nobody, really…' it carried on.

And then, the return of the _Mouthy Millie_. 'Oppose to being an over-sized potato who shoves a crown onto his head and _claims _to be a King'. In all honestly, all I was thinking about in that moment was my interrupted sleep, the Goblin that had held a knife to Kili's throat, and how angry this ugly Goblin's face was making me.

'_You,' _growled the Goblin King angrily to me. 'Will be the first to try the Bone Breaker'.

Kili found my hand, the one that still clutched his cloak, and squeezed it tightly. _Stop it, _it said. _He'll kill you. _I listened, and settled with staring angrily at the Goblin King, while he continued to taunt Thorin.'I know someone who would pay a_ pretty price_ for your head'.

_Huh? Oh..the..the- Uh. The White Goblin? No! The Pale Goblin!_

'Just the head, nothing attached…perhaps you know of whom I speak'. The Goblin King carried on talking, proud of his little show of power, while the smaller Goblin's snickered. 'An old enemy of yours. The Pale Orc, astride a white Warg'.

The _Pale Orc! _That's_ it!_

_Wait._

Thorin held his chin higher, staring straight ahead at the Goblin king. 'Azog the Defiler was destroyed,' he said loudly. _Yeah, that's what I thought. The hell is Mr Potato Head on about?_ 'He was slain in battle long ago!' _Yeah, that's like super awkward. Didn't the Orc kill Thorin's dad? No wonder the guy's so bitter all the time. First his whole home gets fried by a dragon, then his dad gets beheaded. Must _suck_._

'So you think his defiling days are done, do you?' The Goblin King looked far too happy and gleeful, knowing something that Thorin did not. _Power-hungry dick. _He turned to a creepy little Goblin, who began writing what the 'King' said. 'Send word to the Pale Orc. Tell him I have _found_ his prize!' The creepy little Goblin Shit muttered a little squeaky thing, and then swung away from us.

Thorin stared angrily at the Goblin King, who retreated back into his throne and watched the group of Dwarves. The other Goblins waited around them, making sure that we did not run.

Slowly, I had reached forward, touching Thorin's shoulder. 'Thorin?' I asked quietly, wondering if he was okay. I knew when to be a loud-mouthed moron, and when to not be one. This was one of the times that level-headed Millie came out to play. The King snapped out of his trance, turning swiftly around. I stepped back into Kili's chest, startled, but grew instantly uncomfortable upon realizing Thorin's eyes darted down to mine and Kili's linked hands.

I pulled away quickly, though still stayed close to the Dwarf.

Thorin caught the eyes of Dwalin, who said lowly, 'What do we do?' The King had spied out where the weapons were. I had seen them too, seen Snowthorn, but knew that they were too far to get. Thorin shook his head.

'Millie,' said Kili, his voice close to my ear. 'If this is it-'

'No,' I muttered, turning awkwardly to face him. 'Don't say anything that you wouldn't normally say. You know, if we weren't about to be killed by a radioactive potato'.

Kili stared down into my hazel eyes, and nodded.

'Soon,' said The Goblin King. 'The _Pale Orc_ will join us. Not only will he meet The King Under the Mountain once again, but he will meet his thirteen Dwarven companions! And as for the girly,' he stretched the vile hole in his face into a smile. 'Well, I'm sure we can think of a thing or two to do with _her,' _he suggested, his 'chin' waggling as he lent forward.

My stomach heaved at the meaning behind the sentence. I felt Kili's hand find my hip, keeping me firmly pressed against him. _Thank God for him, for all of them, _was all I could think, too scared at what was to come.

'They won't touch you lass,' insisted Gloin, from behind Kili. 'We won't let the beast lay a _finger_ on you'.

I could only manage a quiet, 'Thank you', repulsed at the idea of these boil infested,_ moldy _creatures touching my skin. And they would wait until each and every one of my friends was dead before they started on me. I began to slowly bite at my fingernails.

The Goblin King had began to sing, and with his singing came the voices of the other Goblins. The 'King' had climbed to his feet, and was swaying from foot to foot, clapping along to the tune that they had created. I'd simply glowered at him and the other Goblins as they sung of our oncoming deaths. They then began to pile us forward.

Forward to the approaching Bone Breaker machine...thing.

'Kili,' I'd said, forgetting my earlier words to him. '_Kili_-'

'No,' he bit back. In the ruckus, his rough hands found my shoulders, and he said, 'I _will_ get you out of here. They will _never _touch you'. I really saw him then, with the Goblins pushing and their King singing, but at that moment, something broke out among them and they screamed, pushing us even harder.

'I know that sword!' The Goblin King was pointing madly at a sword that had clattered onto the floor from our pile of stolen weapons. He retreated heavily into his throne, curling in upon himself. 'It is the Goblin Cleaver!'

I'd stepped further back. 'This is a_wkward'._

Then all hell broke loose.

The Goblin started _freaking _out, screaming and shouting as Thorin ran forward, punching and kicking at the Goblins. 'Will _you_-' I'd started angrily, as a Goblin was pushed into my side. 'Go _away!' _

And then I'd punched it in the face. A Goblin. I'd punched it. _In the Face._

The Goblin King wailed about the sword, expressing his deepest woes about its presence. The Goblins all rugby tackled Thorin to the ground, holding him in place. Kili and Fili roared in outrage and started for their Uncle. Dwalin and Balin held them back, while also trying to fight off the Goblin's that appeared at every moment, screeching and wailing. _  
_

Another Goblin appeared into my vision, but was quickly booted away by Dori. We were whipped at, _bitten, _but none of us, not even me, stopped fighting against the army of Goblins.

I wasn't sure what was happening to Thorin, but quite suddenly, the world exploded into light, whiteness and the screams of Goblins. I'd slipped onto the floor with the sudden force of wind, too startled to even try to grab onto anything.

Upon looking up, I saw the silhouette, the robes and the beard.

'...Jesus?' I'd muttered, squinting my eyes to find the mans face. 'Gandalf!' I'd cried, once his face was revealed. He stood above us, holding his staff and his sword. He looked so damn _majestic. _

'Take up arms,' the wizard ordered. 'Fight, fight!' His voice grew with the order.

The Dwarves and the Goblins erupted into shouts after that, as my companions began looking wildly for our pile of weapons.

'Lass!' shouted Dwalin, and, like old times, the bald Dwarf threw me my sword and I caught it, halfway to my feet. I'd wondered if it had burnt him, knowing that Dwalin would not show such pain on his rugged face. 'Jab and swing!' he ordered, sliding his sword into the belly of a scrambling Goblin.

I swallowed away the bile, holding the cool metal of Snowthorn in trembling my hands.

'Jab and swing,' I had muttered. I remembered how Kili had taught me to block, how he had taught me to swing and to attack. 'Jab and swing,' I muttered again. 'Swing and block'. My voice shook as I crouched with Snowthorn in my hands, being knocked and pushed by the fight around me.

A Goblin stood behind Thorin. Snarling, waiting to attack the ignorant King, who fought another enemy, not knowing of the creature behind him.

'Jab and _swing_,' I muttered again, stumbling to my feet and madly jabbing my sword into the Goblin's back my eyes shut tight against the horror if it all. Admittedly attacking with my eyes shut probably wasn't the best idea, but it was instinct. When I opened my eyes, the Goblin stumbled to the ground with a gurgle of black blood.

I wrenched my sword back, biting back a startled sob.

Thorin met my eyes and nodded in thanks, looking as surprised as I felt. He then cut out his sword quickly, catching the blade that swung far too close my head. The attacking Goblin blade swung close to my cheek, cutting it both there, and on my ear. I yelped at the sudden sting, jumping away and allowing Thorin to take over the fight. My heart hammered in my chest, my adrenaline pumping as I dodged and ducked, thinking of my bloody blade and the Goblin I had killed.

My mouth tasted of bitter bile.

The blood tickled my cheek, though I hadn't though that there was not a lot of it. Gandalf's voice rung out above the slowly dying Goblins. 'Follow me!' he ordered, looking far more like a warrior than I would have ever have guessed he could be. 'Quickly!'

Still holding my dirtied blade, I'd ran forward with the rest of them, wondering how things could get _any_ worse.

* * *

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	13. Bloody Peter Jackson

'I am, like, three-_hundred_ percent done with this shit- _ah!' _I had ducked and tripped away from another oncoming herd of Goblins. While muttering a startled, 'I'm _sorry_,' I jabbed the hilt of Snowthorn into one of their sides, causing it to stumble and fall backwards off of the edge of the wooden bridge, down into the deep, unknown of Goblin Town.

The last thing I saw were its eyes, and they were _scared_.

'Millie, come!' said Nori, pulling me along. I followed, thankful for the Dwarves constant eyes watching what I was doing. Had it not been for them, I would have lost my way long ago.

Dwalin had picked up the 'banister' of the bridge, and soon many of the other Dwarves followed suite. They stood in a line, jutting the long stick forward, pushing the herd of Goblin's off of the bridge with the force of it. We continued to run, now that the path ahead was relatively clear. Still, I was forced to stay at the back, while the Dwarves and Gandalf cleared the way with their swinging swords and axes.

We ran fast and hard, over a constant flow of rotting, rickety bridges. I had kept my eyes firmly locked ahead of me, trying to find each of my friends among our company. It was only then that I realized that a certain Hobbit was missing. My feet tripped lazily with the shock, the _realization. _He was _gone_. I hadn't seen him in _far_ too long, not even when the Goblin King was mocking and threatening us.

'_Bil_-' I was going to tell them that he wasn't there, that he hadn't been for _so_ long. But, at that moment, my foot got caught on one of the planks that made up the small bridge and I had taken a painful tumble onto my front, too close to the edge for my liking. Tears of frustration and horror filled my eyes as I climbed carefully to my feet, aware of the Dwarves that had not noticed my fall, and the Goblins that still rocked the bridge that I stood on.

'_Lady_,' wheezed a voice, and I looked up to find a Goblin limp away from the fast moving fight. It's eyes were fixed upon me. 'Lady, sweet and soft, _mine to take to-' _It choked quite suddenly, and I saw the dirty and sweaty face of Kili peek over the Goblin, his hand holding onto the hunting knife that was embedded into the Goblin's shoulder blade.

'_Kili_,' I dry-sobbed, stumbling over to him with Snowthorn dangling uselessly from my hand. He grabbed my face, smearing blood and dirt onto my already bloody cheeks.

'Do not leave my sight,' he told me quickly, and then he was dragging me back to the running Dwarves who were already ahead of us. Balin was twisting his weapon around, knocking Goblins aside, Dwalin was hacking them to pieces, Thorin was splitting their stomachs. My own heaved with the sight, not knowing how I could _ever_ get used to this, now knowing I would _ever_ live without the protective eyes of Kili.

They were warriors, true Dwarven warriors. They twisted, they spun, they jabbed, they slid. It was a dance. A deadly, bloody, _disgusting_ dance.

And I was the odd one out.

Fili, Oin and Thorin swung their swords at the ropes that attached the raised platform - where Goblins screeched - to where the Dwarves and Gandalf stood. I watched, terrified, as the platform broke away from us, the Goblins swinging about and falling into the darkness.

As another Goblin slid past me, ready to attack, I madly swung my sword at it and drew a large amount of blood and muscle. That time, as the Goblin's blood fell everywhere, I was forced to retreat back a few steps and empty the contents of my stomach. I felt empty and sick and alone, not knowing where Kili had disappeared to once again.

_You'll kill him if you try and find his protection all the time._

I did find him though, as I tripped through the battle, dodging anything that came my way. He was holding a ladder, blocking any arrows that flew his way. My stomach dropped at the thought of one of those arrows finding him, and I quickly darted forward, catching the ladder as he dropped it onto various Goblin's heads. The other Dwarves followed Kili's example, each taking an end of the ladder and pushing it forward, successfully throwing the Goblin's out from under their feet.

'Make a bridge!' I had yelled, and the others followed my idea, planting the ladder onto the ground (and across the large gap) and we all bumbled across it, careful of our footing.

Gandalf stayed at the head of the group, fighting the Goblins with a kind of quick and special swordplay that I couldn't help but admire. I'd stumbled after the company as they had found upon another bridge. Kili turned once and surged back to yank me forward, and it was only at his concerned look that I, with much mortification, realized that my face was wet not only blood and dirt, but tears.

We all landed on the bridge, and the ropes were quickly cut, sending the platform swinging away from the herd of Goblins on the other side of the gap. As it reached the other side, a few jumped off, but the rest of us were quickly swung back once again. As it swung back, four Goblins jumped greedily onto the wooden platform, eager to kill the remainder of us.

I was pushed to the ground with the force of the swinging, right about ready to throw up once again. 'Millie!' shouted Fili, and had I scrambled to my feet as the platform hit the cliff edge, and had jumped onto the steady land, gasping.

'This is so _shit_,' I'd muttered, kicking myself upright.

We, once again, continued to run through the stone passages, the dome like caves, and past the wooden bridges where the Goblins jumped, armed and ready. There were too many, so many that I lost track of the ones killed, and the ones left behind. The Dwarves never seemed to stop swinging their swords, and Gandalf always seemed to know which direction to go in.

I had hit anything with my sword - anything that was unfamiliar, and that came too close. I didn't think, I just _did. _I barely noticed Gandalf enchant a rock to fall from the wall, sending it bowling in front of us and knocking away any Goblin's that lay in our path. And let me tell you, that would have been a _perfect_ opportunity for an Indiana Jones joke.

My chest was beginning to sting with the amount of running that we were doing, and my body ached with cuts and bruises that I had not even noticed I had obtained. I looked a wreck, and I was sure that some of the smaller, deeper cuts would scar.

I'd never forget this night, even if I wanted to.

And I never did. It was my first real battle, the first time that had killed anything that looked human, that _felt _like I did, be the emotions terrible and its intentions even worse.

I'd murdered.

With this realization, I'd let out a shuddering sob and fallen sideways into the wall. Bombur pulled me along upon noticing my mental breakdown. 'Come, come, lass,' he had huffed, having been as equally as exhausted and unfit as me.

I had wondered then why it was _me _who had been chosen for _this_. I couldn't fight, I couldn't save anyone. I was normal. I was a _normal teenage girl _with zero ability in anything that would help with the quest. I knew nothing about Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, save for a few characters names and the fact that 'good beat evil' or whatever, but that wasn't even in _this _film!

Then more Goblins came, and so I jabbed, and I ducked, and I blocked, and I hid behind the other Dwarves.

For a moment, we came across a relatively safe looking, stable bridge. The Goblin's seemed to be further behind us. For a moment- a small moment - I thought that we were safe, that we could run the rest of the way out without too much bother.

I had been wrong and naive.

From beneath the bridge burst the Goblin King, splintering away the wooden passage with his bulbous head. The Goblin's poured out around him from every crevice of the place, skittering and smirking. 'You thought you could escape _me_?' questioned the Goblin King, standing directly in front of us, panting and sweating, oozing a smell of rot and decay.

The Goblin King smacked at Gandalf with his massive staff, and myself and the other Dwarves cried out in anger, catching the old Wizard. 'What are you going to do now, Wizard?'

Gandalf promptly jabbed the Goblin King in the eye and then cut him harshly across the stomach, causing blood to ooze from the deep wound. My stomach churned with a cold, sick feeling at the sight, and I cast my eyes downwards, squeezing them shut. After a moment of panic, though, I spied out Kili and Fili to the right of me.

_Good, _my mind sighed. _Good._

'Well, that'll do it,' said the Goblin King, nearly impressed. Thinking the worst was over, I looked up, only to see Gandalf slice the brute across the throat. The King fell face down, causing Gandalf to step back is disgust. The bridge, apparently, could not take the weight of the obese Goblin King falling, and began to buckle and groan.

'Oh, _bugger'._

The bridge collapsed. It slid quickly against the wall beneath it, causing the wood and the platform to split away. I held as tightly as I could onto the wood beneath, knowing that it was disintegrating beneath mine, the men and Gandalf's grips. Part of me was thankful that we were away from the Goblins, but another part of me was a little wary about falling to my death.

'_Bloody Peter Jackson!' _I had wailed, closing my eyes as my stomach turned with the sheer force of the fall.

And then, finally, we landed.

We all groaned with the hit, finding ourselves wrapped up in the broken remains of the bridge. I, myself, was pressed against the dirty ground, the wood and the Dwarves above me. Kili's head dangled above my own, and moaned loudly, catching my eye. I had probably looked a state, but I couldn't have cared less.

'Well,' said Bofur from above me. '_That_ could have been worse!'

Predictably, the body of the Goblin King then decided to crash down onto the already messy mess. His huge, hulking form was enough to press tightly down onto the rest of the Dwarves, who all yelled and huffed in shock of the weight.

'You just _had _to say it, didn't you?' I'd asked, dragging myself out from the destroyed bridge, narrowly avoiding a piece of wood that snapped from Kili's weight. The others began to help each other out of the mess of wood and rope, sending the Goblin's body dirty looks.

I couldn't bare to look at him.

'Gandalf!' yelled Kili, just as I climbed unsteadily to my feet. We all looked quickly to see what he was shouting about, and my stomached drop with dread. There, running toward us, were thousands of angry, screaming Goblins. They piled forward, ready to seek revenge.

'There's too many. We can't fight them!'

'_You don't say!' _I'd bit back. I had, at this point, seen Kili struggling to scramble to his feet, just as Gandalf yelled,

'Only one thing will save us-' His words, though, were blocked out as I yanked Kili to his feet, his hands slipping from mine curiously. I looked down to find blood on my hands, both mine and the Goblin's. Shoving my sword into my scabbard, I tightly held onto him, worried that I would collapse if I did not. 'On your feet!' yelled Gandalf, pushing the Dwarves through a side exit.

I took one last look at the approaching Goblins, and then let myself be dragged along with the already running Kili, following the other Dwarves closely. We ran quickly, finally seeing the light of dawn through a stone doorway at the end of the rocky corridor. Kili pushed me forward, letting go of my hand, while Gandalf stopped ahead of us to check that we all made it through.

The moment fresh air and sunlight hit my face, I stumbled to a stop, too relieved to even begin to think that we were not yet safe.

'Come, Millie, we must find safer ground!' said Gandalf, pushing me forward with his staff. I thought about the blood that may be on it and cringed away, starting forward once again. We ran downhill, and I'd had to force myself to miss the pine trees, and to not fall flat on my face. 'Kili, Fili, Millie,' said Gandalf, counting us all as we ran past him.

'...That makes thirteen. Where's Bilbo?' asked Gandalf, suddenly aware of the absence of the Hobbit. I fell heavily onto the rock below me, burying my face in my hands while everyone looked about themselves, gasping for breath. 'Where is our Hobbit? _Where is our Hobbit?'_

I had pulled my face out of my hands to stare up at Kili and Fili, who looked wildly about beside me. Kili looked down at his feet, and I couldn't help but smile shrewdly at that.

'Curse the Halfling! Now he's lost, I thought he was with Dori!'

'Don't blame _me!' _snapped Dori.

'Well, when did you last see him?' asked Gandalf, growing alarmed.

'Well,' said Nori. 'I think I last saw him when they first came after us,' explained the Dwarf. I thought about voicing up not seeing him, but decided that it was pointless, now that we knew when he had last been seen.

'Well what happened after that?' demanded Gandalf. I closed my eyes, feeling sick and tired. Slowly, I touched my cheek, and felt the grime their, the blood and the dirt.

'Kili,' I'd said, my voice hollow and quiet. 'Can you-'

He looked down at me, and saw me point vaguely to my face. Quickly, he had knelt, ripped away some of his cloak and began wiping away at my cheeks. 'You've earned your first battle wound,' he'd said, dark eyes looking to my left cheek. There was no humor in his voice. 'A goblin must have cut your cheek, and your ear,' he'd added. 'Are you alright, Millie?'

Honestly, I shook my head.

'You were very brave,' he told me, trying to catch my gaze. I swallowed tightly, nodding.

'So were you'.

'Tell me!' said Gandalf.

'I'll tell you what happened,' said Thorin, and I anticipated another hate speech for Bilbo. Kili pulled away from me to look at his Uncle, hand still resting on the rock beside me. 'Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He has thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since he stepped out of his door. We will not be seeing our Hobbit again. He is long gone, and do not try to argue with me, girl,' he said, and I had realized that he was talking to me.

With an ill expression on my face, I looked up to glare at him. 'Last time I kill to save your arse,' I'd muttered, though he heard me quite clearly. My stomach twisted at the thoughts which entered my mind, and I bowed my head once again, biting back a gag and the rise of bile. 'I'm gonna puke'.

Kili had shared a not-so-secretive look with his brother, still kneeling beside me.

Quite suddenly, Bilbo appeared from the tree behind me. 'No,' he quipped. 'He _isn't_. Long gone, that is'.

Through my sickness, I yelped, 'Bilbo! Dude!' The rest of the company looked happily at the Hobbit, while Dwalin and Thorin looked grumpily on.

'Bilbo Baggins!' chuckled Gandalf. 'I have never been so glad to see you in all my life!'

The Hobbit smiled and walked forward, patting Balin on the back. 'Bilbo, we-' started Kili, standing. I realized that I had been leaning into him, and frowned. 'We'd given you up,' he laughed.

'How on earth did you get past the Goblins?' asked Fili, surprised yet pleased.

'What does it matter?' said Gandalf quickly. 'He's back!'

'It matters,' said Thorin, looking suspiciously at the Hobbit. 'I want to know...why did you come back?' I opened my mouth to have a little sass-attack at him, but clamped a hand over my mouth upon realizing that any talking would, quite literally, involve word _vomit._

Bilbo stared at him for a moment. 'Look, I-I know you doubt me, I know you always have. You're right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books,' he admitted. 'Amen to that, sister,' I said, raising my hand, my head still bowed. 'And my armchair,' carried on Bilbo. 'And my garden. See, that's where _I _belong. That's home. That's why I came back, because...you don't have one. All of you,' he said, and I peeked up to find his kind stare on me. 'A home,' he explained. 'It was taken from you, but I will help you take it back if I can'.

There was a brief moment of silence, in which Thorin nodded to Bilbo, having finally been one and truly _told._

And then, of course, I had to ruin the moment by letting out an embarrassing and loud sob. I didn't _like _crying in front of people, and I still do not. So, let me tell you, crying in front of thirteen Dwarves, a Hobbit (who had just given the nicest, most heart-warming speech) and a Wizard...well, it was awkward.

'I'm sorry!' I'd gasped out, burying my face in my hands. 'I've just never _killed_ anything before, and I'm all covered in _blood _and bruises, and that _speech-' _I held up a hand, the other still covering my face. 'It's just been a _very _stressful day, I'm very sorry'.

'Your fought well, Alexandria,' said Gandalf softly.

I waved away his kindness, fighting through a wobbly smile, 'Oh, pish-posh'. Wiping away my stupid, cursed tears, I had the decency to blush through my dirty cheeks. 'Oh my God, I feel like such an _idiot_,' I grumbled, blinking away any wetness in my eyes. A few smiles stretched out around me.

'It wa' your first battle, lass,' said Gloin. 'It's understandable'.

And then a howl cut through the air, sharp and high. I had jumped to my feet, scrambling off of the rock with my eyes wide and searching. Weapons were held higher, and the others eyes were on alert. 'No,' I'd said, not believing that even _more _trouble had come our way. 'No, no, no, no, no, no'.

'Out of the frying pan,' said Thorin, glancing sideways to Gandalf.

'And into the fire,' replied Gandalf, a hint of solemnity in his voice.

'Now is not the time to be thinking about _food_!' I had wailed, not understanding the meaning of the words. 'I mean, come _on_, guys!'

'_Run!' _roared Gandalf, and we all followed quickly, myself still struggling to repress the after effects of sobbing. My feet still hurt, and my body still ached, but whoever chased us could _bugger off _if they thought I would die so easily, not after what we had just survived.

Whatever chased us, though, continued to wail, roar, growl and howl from behind us, gaining on our tails quickly. 'I am _so sick of running!' _I growled out, my bag whacking uncomfortably against my side. Night had fallen quickly, and any rays of that orange sun were long gone, leaving behind only the dark, cloudy sky and the noises from behind us.

Then they were on us, and I caught sight of Bilbo jabbing his sword into one of the Wargs heads. His shocked expression matched my own as the Dwarves and Gandalf began to run, bashing away any Wargs that wandered too close to our company.

'Up in the trees!' ordered Gandalf. 'All of you, come on!'

I stumbled to a stop, watching as the others began to deftly climb the trees, swinging from branch to branch to get as high as they all could. The Wargs continued to run down the hillside, the stragglers coming closer and closer to us. I turned back, away from the Dwarves and Gandalf, to face Bilbo Baggins.

'Oh, for God's sake, Bilbo!' I had grumbled. He had been attempting to yank his sword from the Warg's head, you see. 'Bilbo - _hurry!' _I had stumbled back to one of the trees upon seeing more Wargs burst into the clearing. I hastily scrambled up the tree, though it was still quite a blur of how I'd managed to get up there so quickly - without falling too.

The Hobbit was darting to the same pine tree as me, and I wrenched him up with me, both of us rather inexpertly and clumsily reaching the highest point of the tree. 'Thank you!' he yelped, helping me onto the same branch as him.

'Leave no brother behind,' I muttered, eyes fixed on the Wargs beneath us. They were big and terrible, dribbling and baring their teeth. After running from such things before, I had known how quick they could be, but I had not seen them this close up. They were like wolves, but bigger - bigger teeth, bigger mouths, bigger bodies, bigger _claws. _

That was when we all saw _him._

'Is that the Pale Orc?' I had whispered to Bilbo, and the Hobbit beside me had both shrugged and nodded. 'I can kinda see why they call him that'. He had been tall, wide and white, with scars littering his body and his very presence scaring the crap out of me as he rode in on his giant, equally pale Warg-thing. Oddly enough, he had reminded me a little of Bane from the The Dark Knight Rises.

The more you know.

He began to grumble and rasp something to Thorin in a language that, even now, I did not know nor understand. I heard Thorin's name mixed into the equation, and realized how freaked out the guy must be. He had been so sure that the Pale Orc was dead, that the _thing _that had killed his father or grandfather (whatever) was no longer living.

'Worst reunion ever,' I had muttered, sinking further into my branch. I jumped quite suddenly when I foot appeared on the branch in front of me. 'Sweet Lord-' I yelped, but relaxed upon seeing that it was Kili, and above him, Fili. They were looking intently at the Pale Orc, hanging onto the branches around them. _Right, _hadn't the guy killed their grandfather, or great-grandfather (depending on which was right)?

I'd lost track by this point.

The Pale Idiot then shouted something that sounded curiously like, '_Be ba dow bee_', and I guess that had meant, 'Kill them, my pretties!' because all of a sudden, the Wargs had surged forward toward our 'safe havens' (the trees) and had began to leap at them, claws scratching against the bark.

The Dwarves on the other trees shouted, while I had screamed in terror, grasping onto the pine tree and pulling Bilbo to a safer standing. 'Bilbo, if we die, I'm _so _sorry that I kept eating your bread, and that I took you dad's trousers!'

'That is _fine!' _he had replied, equally as terrified.

The Wargs roared and barked, leaping very close to where we stood on the tree. I slipped quite dangerously as the tree shook, but was quickly put right by Bilbo.

'Millie, Bilbo!' shouted Kili.

'We're still here!' I had replied, hoping that I could keep my hold on the rough bark, just for a little while longer. I dreaded the thought of being the first to fall, though it seemed more likely as the Wargs become rougher, jumping higher and snapping their teeth more often. Two attacked our tree, and one of them managed to hang briefly from the branch below Bilbo and I before falling, yapping loudly.

And then, our tree began to _fall_.

I pressed my forehead tightly against the bark, gritting my teeth and scraping my nails against the roughness as we tilted sideways, Kili, Fili and Bilbo's shouts were all I could hear. The other Dwarves (and Gandalf's) voices had been drowned out by the buzzing in my head and my constant mantra of, _Remember your family. Remember barbecues and University and your room and your mum snoring and your dad cracking offensive jokes. Remember_ them.

Bilbo pulled me to him, causing me to snap my eyes open. 'Jump!' he'd said, and I saw that our tree was fast approaching another. A domino effect then took place. We jumped onto the next tree, scrambling desperately to stay upright. That tree then fell onto another, and we'd jumped onto that one. You get the idea, but after a short time, all of us managed to find ourselves on the same tree...

That just so happened to be on the edge of a cliff.

I closed my eyes and breathed in deeply, ignoring the deep fall below, ignoring the rough laugh of the Orc, and only hearing the breaths of my companions, showing that they were still alive.

My eyes found Kili's, and everything felt a little better. If _only_ a little.

The Wargs surrounded this new tree, one in which we all occupied. I lent heavily against the trunk, my legs hanging on either side of a thick branch. I had been so _tired, _from what I remember. So tired that I hardly noticed Gandalf light up a freaking _pine cone._

_'_Gandalf, _what_ are you-'

He then promptly threw the pine cone, and it flared to life at the feet of the Wargs, subsequently making them startle back, whining and snapping at the fire which spread safely around us. 'Well shit, that's- that's actually a pretty good idea,' I'd mused tiredly. 'Gimme one'.

Gandalf passed one to Gloin, who passed one to Bilbo, who passed one to me. I threw it so quickly that I hardly felt the fire within the cone, and the satisfaction of seeing it hit the side of a Warg's head could have only of given me a great surge of pleasure and a yelled out, '_Suck_ on that!' as flaming pine cones surged toward the confused and angry Wargs and the Pale Orc. 'This is so therapeutic!'

We cheered, we whistled, we watched as the little shits got their fair share of karma. Then, of course, the tree had to go and ruin all of our celebrating by snapping away at the roots. It bent quickly backwards, hanging dangerously over the edge of the cliff, teasing us with the great landscape beneath. A landscape - a _fall _- that could quite easily be the death of us all.

I slipped quite ungracefully, scrambling to hold tightly onto the same branch as Bilbo. Everything had been so up and down that day, I was beginning to grow quite wary of it, truth be told.

That was when Thorin had stood, apparently as sick of this shit as I was. I had to be impressed by the aura that he created though, if I'm honest. He stood before the flaming ground, rising slowly to his feet with his face a mask of badass anger. All of it for the Pale Orc. Bilbo and I stared, awed, at his...I don't know, _majestic persona. _He just _looked _like a King in that moment.

With a yell, he started forward, and many of the others watched in fear and anticipation as their King, their _friend, _ran through fire and smoke, a shield of oak upon his arm, and his sword raised high.

The Pale Orc had lent forward on his white Warg and roared, surging forward and knocking the Dwarf from his feet and flat onto his back. The Dwarves yelled at the injustice of it all, myself and Bilbo included.

It was only then that I heard the shouts of Dori, and turned awkwardly around to see him hanging from Gandalf's staff, Ori gripping tightly onto his ankles. Both were dangling above the abyss beneath us, and I had opened my mouth in horror, my eyes stinging, my hope _gone._

Thorin staggered to his feet, only to be knocked down by the Orc once again. My heart broke at the shouts of Balin, Dwalin, Kili and Fili. I had never proclaimed my loyalty to the King, nor my likeness for him. But I knew a good guy when I saw one, and Thorin did _not _deserve to die. 'We have to help him,' I choked, pulling myself higher. 'We _have _to,' I looked desperately at Bilbo, who merely stared ahead, his jaw set.

The smoke was beginning to become too much, and my lungs ached with the thickness of it. I was too tired, too tired to fight or crack a wise-arse comment. Bilbo finally looked at me, and said a simple, 'You're right, Millie'. With that, he stood shakily to his feet, the fire around him, his bare feet pressed against the trunk of the overturned tree, his bravery enviable.

And he started forward.

And, of course, I followed him.

* * *

**And _okay, _it's up! Admittedly, this isn't as lighthearted as the earlier chapters, but I wanted to show how scared Millie is, and how unused to this life she is. She just had her first kill, and that's gotta be tough. She'll be returning to her sassy-self though, don't you guys worry!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, I can't say this enough. It's amazing how you've taken to this story, and I love you all so much, I don't care if that's corny. **

**To those who already follow my tumblr and send me such nice things, thank you. To those who don't, take a peek at **_kiliyousosilly._ **Thank you again!**


	14. The Eagles

'Together?' Bilbo had asked, as we slyly sneaked up on the Pale Orc and its Orc lackey, who was raising a blade above Thorin's throat. The Hobbit's voice was trembling as he couched beside me.

'Together,' I breathed and, with that, we both leaped at the Orc who was right about ready to swing that sword down onto Thorin's pretty neck. Bilbo did it with much more grace than I had, I can tell you that. While he sprang onto the Orc, I kind of did a funny little trip, successfully missing him completely and landing solidly on the ground.

'Well _that_ hurt more than I thought it would,' I had grumbled, only to be shoved roughly out of the way as the Orc attacked Bilbo. The Hobbit pushed me sideways, pulling out his blue, glowing sword and embedding it deep within the Orc's chest. I tried very hard to forget what I was seeing, to remember that Thorin could be _dying-_

Thorin.

I stood with Bilbo, falling next to Thorin as the Hobbit waved his sword at the oncoming Wargs and Orcs, who all surrounded us. In the quickness of it all, and the shaking of my hands, I couldn't tell if Thorin's heart was beating or not.

'Don't be dead,' I had pleaded, pressing my fingers to his pulse point. With that, I fell - quite literally - into step with Bilbo, pulling Snowthorn from my side. It was still dirty with now stale Goblin blood, and my teeth gritted against each other as the sword was held stiffly in my still blood dried hands. 'Bilbo man, quit waving you sword, you're gonna poke my eye out,' I had whispered, stepping away from him.

In all honesty, I was just avoiding looking at the beasts before us. Alas, in the end I did look at them, and I simply said, 'You are _extremely_ ugly, my friends. Killing you would be doing the world a _great _favor'.

'Agreed,' huffed Bilbo.

The Pale Orc growled out something in an unknown language, coming slowly closer.

'Bilbo,' I said. 'You're my buddy-' My voice shook. '-And although I'm not all for this dying thing-' The dark Wargs came closer. '-And to quote The Smiths-' Too close. '-To die by your side, well, the pleasure, the privilege-'

Quite suddenly, the Dwarves were hurtling forward, smacking most of the Wargs to the ground. I stumbled back, gripping Snowthorn between two hands and avoiding any kind of contact with the animals and the Orcs. Instead, I stayed firmly in front of the Thorin, making sure nobody stepped on him. _That _would be tragic and _very _undignified.

Bilbo tore away from my side, hurtling into the midst of the battle. I had stayed exactly where I was, knowing that if I took part in this particular battle, it was likely that I would be eaten, or stabbed, or fall over and kill myself.

I crouched beside Thorin, my back on the fight as I saw Wargs and Orcs being shoved to the ground, covered in blood. The King was unconscious, having been thrown about and half eaten by a Warg. 'Thorin, dude, do not die. I cannot be doing with a mopey bunch of Dwarves, I really can't. Plus, I actually think you're kind of cool, but you know, telling you that would involve having a civil conversation with-'

'_Millie!'_

My heart jumped into my throat as a spun around, landing on my butt next to Thorin. An Orc was behind me, having planned - I suppose - to sneak up on me while my back was turned. I threw out my sword, ready to smack him with it should the need come-

The sound of eagles and the wind of wings sang through the air.

Both myself and the Orc looked wildly up, both equally confused. Then, swooping low, I saw an eagle so large that it had me half yelping, 'Is that a _dinosaur_?' Before it was dragging the offending Orc away from me and off of the cliff. 'Um...thank you!' I turned swiftly to Thorin, jabbing him in the chest. 'Dude, you are gonna want to see _this_!'

I half turned away from him, only to feel the huge gust of wind that had me turning back around. I yelped, startled, as I saw eagles talons curl around Thorin's body. The King did not so much as stir.

Then one of the bloody things came for _me_.

It grabbed tightly onto me around my stomach, and I screamed _loudly_, though was partly thankful to be taken away from the fire and the Pale Orc and the blood and the _shouts_. Many of the Wargs had, though, been thrown off of the cliff by the eagles.

The eagle carried be off of a cliff, only drop me quite suddenly. I yelled, and then found my back smacking into a feathery bed beneath me. 'Millie!' I struggled to sit up, well aware of the fact that the feathery bed was moving fast through the air.

There in front of me, sitting on the eagle, were Fili and Kili.

Kili pulled me further toward them, away from the edge of the eagle. Around us, in the lightening sky, the others were being carried by the great eagles, over the clouds and the mountains. I held tightly onto Kili, by stomach doing flips at the height that we were at, though part of me marveled the view below us, it was _truly _beautiful-

'Thorin!' shouted Fili, directing his voice to his Uncle, who was still clutched in the eagles talons in front of us. 'Kili, is he-'

I had felt like I was intruding on something that I shouldn't be, like this was too intimate, too _sad _for me to witness.

Kili leaned forward, his face level with his brothers as he spied out his Uncle. 'He can't be,' he said lowly, placing a hand on his brothers shoulder. 'Fili...if he is, you'll be-' He cut himself off, tuning his head to look closely at his brother. 'Fili-'

_King, _I had realized. _Fili will be The King Under the Mountain._

Fili shook his blonde head. 'Kili, _don't. _He's not dead, not _Thorin_. He's our _mothers _brother_'. _Something about the way he said it made me think that they were referring to a strong, very capable mother. Well, if she was anything like Thorin, she'd be terrifying.

'He-he's just unconscious,' I assured them, digging my free hand into the eagles feathers. The wind whipped past us, and the sun was beginning to hurt my eyes. '_Just _unconscious. Just pray he doesn't wake up now, poor guy will freak the hell out,' I murmured, taking my hand away from Kili to wipe my dirty face.

Fili looked over his shoulder at me, a small smile playing on his face. 'Trust you to get a joke out of a situation like this'.

I paused in wiping my face, confused. 'I wasn't joking. What would you do if you woke up, thousands of feet off of the ground, only to see that you're being carried by a giant eagle? I mean, you'd be a _little _shocked'.

'That he would,' agreed Kili, still staring at his Uncle.

'This is terrifying,' I had muttered, kneeling against the eagles back. 'Why do you think they helped us? I bet _Gandalf _had something to do with it, the sneaky little blighter'. The bright rays of the sun were making me sleepy, but the could-be-dead-Thorin and the height at which we were travelling were keeping me well awake. 'Does this mean that the Pale Orc is hunting us?'

Fili adjusted himself atop the eagle, tearing his eyes away from the fast moving land below. The eagle took a deep swoop, and my stomach churned. 'That's exactly what it means, I suppose. He's very intent on killing off the Line of Durin. He only knew that _Thorin_ was there though'.

I blinked, not quite catching on.

'Fili and I are of the Line of Durin, aren't we?' reminded Kili. 'We're the Heirs'.

'Right, right, yeah. Sorry, I go totally thick when I'm tired,' I said. Then, '_Ah_, we're landing'.

The eagle that carried Thorin had lain him gently on a very tall platform of rock, which ascended many feet upwards. The rest of us watched as Gandalf fell gracefully from his own eagle, starting toward the very still King.

'Get ready to jump!' said Kili, not really giving me much of a chance to prepare myself, as he pulled me off of the eagle the moment it swooped over the rocky surface. I caught myself quickly, thanks to Kili's hand clutching my arm. My feet ached with the impact.

I glared furiously at him, about ready to tell him _why _people did not normally jump off of eagles when they were mid-flight. Kili ignored my angry look, as he started forward to help his now awake Uncle to his feet. I'd felt relief then. Relief that could only mean that I had grown fonder of Thorin than I would have liked to admit.

Thorin started forward to Bilbo, who stood alone. 'You!' he said, voice scratchy. Bilbo's smile faded somewhat. 'What were you _doing? _You could have got yourself _killed. _Did I not say that you would be a burden?'

Was he _actually_ kidding me right now?

'That you would not survive in the wild? That you had no place among us?' Bilbo looked down, well and truly _done. 'I have never been so wrong,' _breathed Thorin, starting forward to embrace the Hobbit.

For a moment, I stood, completely baffled at the scene before me. 'Total bromance, right there,' I announced, smiling along with the rest of the Dwarves. They clapped and cheered, knowing that _finally _Thorin had accepted Bilbo Baggins into our company.

And the Hobbit freakin' _deserved_ it.

Thorin pulled away from Bilbo, smiling softly at the startled and happy looking man. 'I am sorry I doubted you,' he said, and there were true feeling in those words.

'No, no,' insisted Bilbo. 'I would have doubted me too. I'm not a hero, I'm not a warrior...or even a burglar'. Thorin smiled at the Hobbit, and it was really starting to freak me out, if I'm honest. I mean, the guy was _smiling. _

He then turned, hands lingering on the Hobbit's sides, and his blue eyes found mine.

My eyes widened a fraction at the though of Thorin _hugging me._

'And _you,' _he said, walking forward with a great purpose, I stumbled back with an, '_Oh, God'_, only to be pushed forward by Kili. 'You are still the same tedious girl that were before, are you not?'

I held up my hands, giving him a pointed look. 'Would you want me _any_ other way?'

'You followed Master Baggins to my side,' he said.

'Well yeah, I _fell _to your side more like, Bilbo did most of the-' I was, quite promptly, cut off by Thorin's arms awkwardly finding me in an equally as awkward hug. 'And now we're hugging, okay,' I muttered, pausing to pat the King stiffly on the back. 'You're, er, quite welcome,' I sent Bilbo a wild look, but he was far too wrapped up in the lasting effects of Thorin's bro-hug.

I pulled away, looking anywhere but at Thorin's face. Fili scoffed next to me, but was then distracted by the flapping of wings as the eagles swooped around us, diving to follow the leader of their group to an entirely different direction. Thorin approached Bilbo, smiling at him, but his gaze caught something behind the Hobbits head.

'Is that-?' began Bilbo, taking a step forward with Thorin. My eyes wandered to what they were looking at, and I swear to God, I got _shivers_.

'Whoa,' I muttered, eyebrows raised. The whole company started forward, and I kept close to Kili and Fili's sides, not fond of leaving them for quite some time, not after what had just happened that day. '_Is _that it?'

'Erebor,' announced Gandalf. 'The Lonely Mountain. The last of the Great Dwarf Kingdoms of Middle Earth'.

Thorin gave a small nod, almost to himself. 'Our home,' he said. Kili and Fili straightened up beside me, having, I supposed, never seen their true home in their lives. I gave a small smile to myself, staring out at the misty, vague mountain far off into the distance, nearly straight ahead. _That_ was our destination.

A birds call broke through the 'deep' moment, and Gloin said, 'A Raven! The birds are returning to the mountain'. We watched, fascinated, as a bird too small to be a raven swooped into our view, starting for the mountain.

'That, my dear Gloin,' said Gandalf. 'Is a thrush'.

'I'll take it as a sign,' replied Thorin quietly, staring at his home, _his. _He glanced sideways at Bilbo, a soft smile on his features. 'A good omen'. His eyes lingered on the Hobbit, and I shifted uncomfortably, feeling as if Celina Dion should come on and start serenading the Hobbit and the Dwarf.

'I do believe the worst is behind us,' said Bilbo. I looked at him, brow furrowed. ..._Where the hell does he think we're going? Disneyland? We've gotta defeat a bloody dragon yet. _I didn't say this though. I just gave a small, awkward hum.

We all stood there for a moment, in the quiet of the orange sunlight, our thoughts our own, all wondering what lay between us and the mountain. I mean, we still had a journey ahead, didn't we?

Then, mine and Ori's stomachs just had to go ahead and rumble very, _very _loudly.

'Perhaps we should camp here for the night,' suggested Dori, elbowing his brother in the side. Myself and Ori shared a look of deep understanding. We both needed food, and we both needed it _now_.

'Do we have any food?' I'd asked, plopping myself onto the rocky ground, taking my bag off. 'And is it even _safe_ to camp up here? Will we even be able to get down tomorrow-?'

'It baffles me,' said Gandalf. 'How you manage to ask so many questions, after such an ordeal. Can you not be content that we have somewhere safe to sleep and that we are not dead?'

I frowned at him. 'I'm _hungry,' _I said, as if that was reason enough.

'Yes,' he sighed. 'We know. Ah, it looks as if the eagles have come to share their hunt with us'.

I still do not know how the eagles were so _nice, _but they were. They managed to scavenge rabbit for us, which we cooked over a fire - using the wood that they had gathered - and ate quite happily, soothing out aches and pains.

'My feet,' I said to Kili and Fili, yanking off my boots. 'Hurt_ so much'._

Gloin pulled off his own mud trodden boots. 'Aye, mine too. I dread the walk down to the earth beneath us tomorrow'. His large, smelly feet were put close to my cooked rabbit. I winkled my nose and moved my plate away. 'Sorry, lass,' he laughed, stuffing his face with the meat.

The sky had darkened once again, and the only light was that of the fire that burned between us all.

'How're you feeling?' questioned Kili quietly, once the others engaged in another boisterous conversation of stories from the Blue Mountains. I wondered what it was like there, whether it would be there or Erebor that I would go back to. Whether I would go back at all.

I looked at him, swallowing my food. 'Fine. Why?'

He gave me a short look.

'Yeah, alright, I had a little embarrassing freak out earlier. _Must _we talk about it?' I replied. 'God, I need another bath. Quit _staring,' _I snapped, catching his dark eyes on my face once again.

'You've been cut up heavily,' he said. 'The others don't want to say anything. Dwarves don't normally take notice of other Dwarves smaller battle wounds in case of offending them-'

'But not _you_,' I snorted.

'No,' Kili agreed. 'Not me. You've cut yourself on your cheek, there,' he said, finger lingering just above the stinging cut. 'You're filthy - they'll get infected if you don't clean them out. Are you cut anywhere else?' He looked at my arms. While the cloak had once covered quite a lot of me, it had been taken by the Goblins. My dark shirt sleeves reached about my elbow. Below that, my skin had acquired only small scrapes. 'Nothing too bad,' he said. 'Is it only the one on your face that is deep?'

I nodded.

'You came out of it better than I thought you would,' he said honestly, leaning back against the rock. 'Although the cut may scar a little'.

'Thanks,' I replied dryly, aware of my stinging cheek and ear. 'Thorin seems better,' I pointed out. 'Is Fili...relieved that he doesn't have to...you know-'

Kili sat up once again, his voice quiet and his gaze secretive. 'Fili has never...quite _taken_ to the idea of being the eldest heir. It scares him more than he would like to admit. He is not yet prepared enough to take on that task, so when we thought that...when we thought that time had come, and when in turn we found that Thorin was alright-'

'He was relieved,' I finished quietly. 'For bother Thorin, and himself. I can understand that'.

'Will you come with us?' Kili said suddenly, shuffling onto his knees. He looked quite uncomfortable. I looked away from the conversing Dwarves and back to him, brows raised.

'Huh?'

'If we reclaim Erebor- will you come with us and live there?'

I nodded slowly, too stunned at his forwardness, his intense eyes. 'Er, yeah. _Course_. I don't really have anywhere else to go, do I?'

Kili nodded, brow furrowed. 'Good'.

My stomach gave a weird, uncomfortable little flip. 'Do you want the rest of my rabbit? I'm super-duper full'. I handed the plate to him, and he paused before taking it. Watching in amusement as he ate, I had wondered if the Dwarf would _ever _learn basic table manners. 'We should _totally_ braid each others hair,' I piped up, eyes lingering on his brown mess. 'Yours is totally messy, as is mine, and all the other Dwarves seem to have gotten all braidy'. Kili's eyes widened. 'We could have like a _sleepover-'_

It was only then that I noticed the heavy silence that had fallen over the group.

'Oh _God,' _I had groaned, anticipating the worst. 'What did I say _this _time?'

Each Dwarf was looking away from their conversation, each holding a look of amusement, pity and sheer awkwardness. Kili had paused with his food halfway to his mouth, eyes wide. 'You just asked the lad to share your bed, in Dwarven traditions,' piped up Gloin, clearly enjoying the show very much. My mouth dropped open, and Fili brushed a hand over his mouth, containing a laugh.

I had let out a startled laugh myself, clamping a hand over my mouth. 'Well, _I_ didn't know _that_- oh my God!' I snorted, bending over to contain my laughter. 'You guys braid each others hair before- I can't _breathe-' _I flapped my hands madly around my face. 'I didn't _mean _it like that-' I then, quite promptly, falling into another fit of giggles.

'The lass is quite mad,' said Bofur.

Bifur grumbled something in reply while I wiped away my tears, still half-laughing. With one look at Kili's bemused face, I dissolved once again. 'I haven't laughed like this in _ages_!'

Quite nervously, Ori began to join in on the laughter.

'I'm sorry. I'm done,' I gasped, breathing in deeply to calm myself. I turned to the quite shocked Dwarves. 'You guys have _got_ to teach me about this stuff before I invite a complete stranger to-' I cut myself off and snorted. 'Right, er, yeah'.

There was a pause, and then Gandalf chuckled and huffed out a, 'I think you are quite right, Millie. Your ignorance toward Dwarven traditions is _quite _alarming'.

'You can say _that_ again,' huffed Gloin, though an amused smile was apparent on his grumpy face. 'Anyway, you made the laddie _blush, _my lady,' he snorted. I turned back to Kili, who's cheeks _were_ redder than they were before.

'Shut it,' he grumbled, promptly stuffing his face with rabbit, ignoring the jeering from the other Dwarves.

I merely smiled at him.

* * *

**Quite a short chapter compared to the others, but it was more of a 'okay, from film to book' chapter. Either way, I hope you liked it!**

**I'd like to say that I'm going to be putting quite a lot of movie stuff in there, but I will, obviously, be going by the book. I'll be doing quite a lot of my own thing, but the story will be the same. I won't change anything drastically. Any idea, message me here, or on my tumblr **_kiliyousosilly!_

**You guys are amazing by the way. We're now on over 400 reviews. I'm so happy, please keep reviewing!**


	15. Braids and Bears

'Yes, yes, there is somebody around these parts who can help us, I believe,' said Gandalf, stepping off of the last step of the rock that we had camped on that night. It was morning then, and the air had been a little chilly. 'He made those steps, actually. I think he named the rock the Carrock'.

Thorin considered this. 'Would he offer us safe lodging and food, all for no fee?'

Gandalf leaned on his staff, considering the woods surrounding us. 'Yes, yes, I think that he would be quite fine with it. His name Beorn, and I urge you to be _civil_ with him, if we do find his house-' Gandalf gave Thorin a look at this. '-Please, try not to say anything inappropriate'. This, of course, had been directed at me.

The travel down from the 'Carrock' had been slow. The steps were uneven and steep, and the fear of falling was pretty great. A lot of our baggage had been lost, and we had zero food left. Even after last nights dinner, my stomach still felt dull with hunger, and my hair felt limp, and my body ached, and my cuts hurt, and my-

'Will he be alright with us arriving - all of us?' asked Bilbo, casting his gaze around at the Dwarves. We all followed Gandalf, seeing as he seemed to know where he was going. I walked absently by myself, nearer to both Gandalf and Bilbo than the others. 'If you say he's so bad-tempered, then is it a good idea to go to him?'

Gandalf looked at Bilbo grumpily. 'I would not have suggested it if I thought it was a bad idea, Bilbo Baggins'.

_Told._

'I think, though,' said Gandalf, louder this time. 'That if all goes well with Beorn, then I will be leaving the company once more'. I'd looked at him, horrified. 'Do not look so _grim_, Millie. I have other business to attend to, but I am not leaving now. Perhaps in a day or twos time'.

Each of the Dwarves grumbled very loudly, each as put out by this information as I was.

'You wish to leave us once again?' asked Thorin, sounding a little angry. 'After what happened the _last_ time?'

Gandalf glanced over his shoulder, shooting the Dwarf a look that made me quite uneasy. 'I always promised that I would see you over the mountains, Thorin Oakenshield and by quite good luck, I have done just that. We are now a good deal further east than I ever thought I would come with you. You will remember that this is not _my _adventure, and that I have other pressing matters to attend to'.

Bilbo looked completely distraught at the thought of the Wizard leaving us again.

'Is that a river I hear, Gandalf?' inquired Gloin, who walked near the back of the group. My heart practically stopped _beating _at the thought of a place to drink, and maybe even _bathe._

Through the trees, there was _indeed _a river. It was fairly deep and quite slow moving, so I quickly shot a sly look to Gandalf, who had paused in front of the water. 'Can we _please _stop to have bath, these guys _stink,' _I said, jutting a thumb over my shoulder to the slightly ripe Dwarves.

'We do _not!' _snapped Dori.

I merely snorted.

'Yes,' decided Gandalf. 'I believe that we can risk time to clean ourselves of yesterdays happenings. After that, we will head for Beorn's house. We will not want to be too near his abode before the sun goes down,' he said, rather ominously.

I promptly ignored him. 'Shotgun going first,' I said quickly, plopping onto the ground and kicking off my boots.

'Wait until we are gone, lass!' Nori (practically) yelped.

I gave him a funny look, while the other Dwarves lazily began wandering back the way we had come, Gandalf leading them to gather some berries and leaves. 'They're _feet. _Jesus, is the idea of me being naked so _repulsive-?'_

Nori hurried away quickly, ignoring my offended shouts. 'Kili!' I called, and the Dwarf turned. 'Can you make sure like, I don't know, some unaware traveler doesn't come snooping around and get the shock of a lifetime? I'll be quick, I promise. Just turn around,' I said quickly, tugging on the hem of my shirt, now standing.

Kili stopped. 'I don't think it's entirely..._appropriate_ for me to be here while you bathe'.

I ignored his statement. 'What? _Nah_. Look, I get that you think it's all _inappropriate _or whatever, but I trust you to not try and get a free show while I'm taking a _much _needed bath. Like I said, I don't want any travelers snoopin' in on me, or Ori getting all confused and forgetting which way the river was and then - _bam! _Innocence lost-'

Kili held up a hand, laughing. 'Alright! I doubt that Thorin will be all too pleased with me though, or Balin. I'm supposed to be a _Prince, _after all,' he grinned, and I kicked my boot in his general direction. 'That wasn't very _ladylike_'.

'Shut up and turn around,' I snapped. He grinned and did as told, stepping a little further toward the tree line and away from me. It was _weird - _taking off my shirt while in the middle of nowhere. I'd never bathed as quickly as I had then. My clothes and underwear were off in seconds, and I was quickly dipping my toes and legs into the river, while awkwardly sitting on the pebbles.

'Oh my _God!' _I muttered. Kili gave a little twitch, and I had yelped a startled, 'No! Don't turn around - it's just _cold,' _I'd whined, my skin going pale and prickly at the contact with the icy water. I scrubbed away the dirt that had found my ankles and my hands, and then quickly started on my face and my hair, scrubbing away the grime there. The water around me went a little murky, and I wondered how awful I _had _looked.

There were bruises in odd places, plus a few scrapes that I hadn't noticed while clothed. Nothing, though, that would slow me down too much.

While nervously glancing at Kili's turned back, I changed into my clothes, which quickly grew damp with the water on my skin. 'You can turn around,' I told him, squeezing the dampness from my hair. Kili did as told, giving me a quick once over. 'I feel like a new _woman_,' I told him, stretching my arms above my head. 'But freezing'.

Kili approached me and I straightened up, leaving my fairly knotty hair to hang limply and wetly over my shoulders. 'Your cut has healed well,' he told me, pointing to the small gash on my far cheek. 'Dwarves heal quite quickly,' he informed me, eyes darting from the cut, to my eyes. 'We also rarely get ill, at all'.

That surprised me. 'Really?'

Kili nodded. 'Very rarely indeed'. He paused then, _looking _at me. 'You've surprised me,' he said.

I was cold, I was tired and I was hungry, but I pressed on, eager to find anything I could about Kili's opinion of me. 'What do you mean?' I'd asked, realizing that only one of my boots was on. I grimaced lightly, curling my toes into the stones beneath me.

Kili tilted his head from side to side, trying to gather the words, I guess. 'Don't get offended,' he had warned, and I had merely rolled my eyes and given him a _look_. 'When I first met you at Bilbo's Hobbit Hole-' _Snort. '-_I assumed you were quite...insane, and perhaps were going to be a liability. Of course, I was almost happy about that, because Thorin had been so sure that Fili and I would be the liabilities-'

'You _what?' _I'd asked, baffled. 'You're trying to tell me that I'm _not _a liability? I'm _useless,_ Kili!'

Kili opened his mouth, then started again. 'Well, yes, admittedly sometimes you can be quite a..._woman - _you know what I _mean! _- But, so far, you've proved yourself to be quite a _Dwarf_, Millie. Something that both myself and the others had doubted you would ever be. You're loyal and brave, which we Dwarves favor in others. You've proved me wrong'.

My face had most probably gone a funny shade of pink at that.

'Well,' I grumbled. 'Not to mention stubborn, hard headed - wait, you thought I was _insane?' _I'd laughed, shooting him an amused look. 'Like, honestly _insane?'_

Kili had the decency to look sheepish. 'In all fairness, you do have an odd way of speaking, Millie. We've only just grown used to it, you'll have to attempt to blend in more once we meet others,' he warned. 'If you want to live peacefully with- well, after the quest,' he said, blowing his brown hair from his face.

I had considered this, upon everything else that would come...would I survive. 'I know,' I told him seriously. 'I- yeah, I know,' I said lamely. 'It's just very..._difficult_ to break out of my patterns and ways of speaking, since I've been doing it for nineteen years'. I shrugged, still quite cold. 'I'm still getting used to the fact that _this _is my home now'.

It wasn't entirely a secret, but it was a fact that I had not shared quite so openly.

'Is your own home so different from Middle Earth?' he had questioned, peering quietly at me. I tensed a little, wondering whether to tell him that I came from not only a different land, but a different _time_, a different _world_ - a world where _this _world was entirely _fictional._

I'll never quite wrap my head around that. Still haven't.

But, at that moment, a voice called from within the trees, 'Has the _fair lady _finished her bath yet? We need a turn to scrub ourselves down too!' Fili, the annoying git that he was.

'I'm finished!' I called back, bowing my head away from Kili's gaze. I had known that I _would _tell him, it was just a question of when he would think that I wasn't lying.

I glanced uneasily up at Kili again as the Dwarves and Bilbo bumbled out of the tree line and onto the pebbles shore. 'You look much better now,' he said quietly, looking down at me. 'Now that you've, er, bathed I mean'.

I smiled a half smile. 'Thank you'.

Thorin approached us as the others began yanking of their boots and coats. 'It appears that you have found a bathing companion in my nephew, Miss Fournier,' said Thorin, and there was a trace of lighthearted humor in his voice. Of course, he had been referring to Rivendell's bath escapades, where Kili had also accompanied me.

I had stumbled over my words while Kili sent his Uncle a look that quite blatantly said, '_Really?'_ My gaze, though, was quickly redirected to the undressing Dwarves. Heck, even Gloin was peeling his...onesie type thing off.

'I'm still _here_!' I'd yelped, covering my eyes and scrambling to pick up my boot. 'Can't you at least wait until I've _left _before you begin stripping down - my _God!' _I grumbled, disappearing into the trees from the near smiling Thorin and the laughing Dwarves, plus Bilbo.

I hopped along, successfully pulling my leather boot onto my foot and reaching the small clearing where Gandalf wandered, a few of the Dwarves packs bundled into a small pile, plus my own bag. The Wizard hovered in an area, staring up at the darkening sky. A ghost of a pale moon stared back. 'I wish to talk to you, Millie. While we are alone, if I may,' he turned toward me, using his staff to carry his weight. After seeing how he had takin on those Goblins, I highly doubted that he actually needed it.

I nodded, rubbing my cold arms. 'Shoot - er, _talk_,' I repaired, remembering Kili's earlier words.

Gandalf gave a small inclination of his head and stepped closer to me. 'You have grown close to our Dwarven company, specifically two certain Heirs of the Durin Line,' he hummed, raising his bushy eyebrows at me. 'Some would call the relationship with the two near inappropriate, considering their own relationship status, and yours'.

I grew uncomfortable _very _quickly. 'If you're about to give me 'the talk', then you're too late, Fili got there before you, Gandalf. And trust me on this, he covered _everything. _From marriage, to babies-'

Gandalf smiled brightly. 'So it _is _young Kili who has captured your attention. You know, I _had _wondered which of the brothers it was, and I _did _have my suspicions of the boy'. I closed my eyes and prayed for patience. 'You have been warned of the difficulties then - concerning Heirs and such?'

I nodded, blushing. 'You know, we're not...we're not even-' I breathed in deeply. 'We not a..._couple. _I don't understand why everyone is insisting upon jumping to that conclusion- I-,' I clenched my fists and hunched my shoulders angrily. 'If I wanted a boyfriend back home, it would be _simple _and _nice. _Here though? Here, there's the problem of Heirs and dragons and getting killed and not knowing how to tell _anyone _any_thing _because Fili said that Dwarf women usually go after the men, but Gandalf man, I don't know _anything _about that kind of thing!' My eyes stung. 'Not to mention the fact that I'm probably _dead _back home'.

Gandalf blinked, and then simply smiled quite kindly. 'Although I wish I could help you, this is something that you must figure out on your own, Millie, my dear. I do not wish to interfere with anything that may run quite smoothly without my help. What I do want to know though, is what you plan to do after the quest to Erebor?'

I smiled quite plainly. 'If I survive, that is'. I sighed and shrugged. 'Sorry. I've been told by the Dwarves that I'm welcome to the Blue Mountains, or to Erebor should they reclaim it. I think-' I was annoyed that he was going to be proved right. 'Kili and Fili have made it known that they won't let me go homeless or alone, as has Bofur'.

Gandalf's smiled brightened. 'You have made yourself quite popular among our company. It appears that now even Thorin has taken to your odd charm, and our Hobbits'. He peered at me, quite serious. 'You grow tired and scared, I know that. But you're quite strong, do not give up'.

I had no words, and by the time my mouth opened to reply, Kili and Fili were bursting through the scattered trees, laughing and shaking their wet hair. Fili's long, braided hair cast an especially wet spray my way.

Admittedly, it was difficult to avert my eyes from Kili. He wore the blue cotton shirt, but it was looser and he was _wet, _and oh lord, the man was a stunner, you know.

The other Dwarves them came into the clearing, and Thorin went to talk to Gandalf. I went about tying my hair into a ponytail after borrowing some string off of Fili, who watched in amusement as I tried to keep the strands locked up tightly. In the end, he offered to do it himself, but then paused, glancing at his brother who had been mooching over his pack, but now stared at us.

'You know,' said Fili. 'I need to find myself some berries. Kili can do it'.

I gave him a long stare. 'After last night? I thought that braiding each others hair meant-' I struggled with an appropriate word. '_Laying _with each other, or whatever'.

Fili cast his eyes to the sky. 'The things that you come out with, Millie. _Yes_,' he carried on, looking at me. 'But it depends on the context which you use it in. You asked Kili to braid your hair, even involving the word _sleepover, _of all things. Of course we got the wrong impression from _that-' _Both Kili and I shared an awkward look. 'But asking quite plainly if a person would tie you hair back - there is nothing so intimate about it. Also, women Dwarves are less sentimental about their braids, while men use them to identify different things. Battles, marriage, status, purity'. At that, his braided mustache twitched.

'So it depends on how you _want _them to see it?' I had asked.

Fili nodded. 'Exactly. Now,' he dropped the string onto Kili's lap. 'I am hungry. Brother, help the damsel in distress'. He smiled cheekily at me and I pulled a face at his retreating back.

'I can understand why the two of you are related,' I told him, dropping down onto the floor in front of Kili and crossing my legs. I smoothed out my hair and said, 'You're both as equally as annoying as the other. Well, go on then, get ah-tying with my hair'.

Kili scoffed quietly behind me. 'Would you like a braid?' he inquired.

I thought about it quite intently, thinking about the others braids, and how _Dwarven _they seemed. 'No,' I decided. 'No. Not yet. Just tie it back, please'. I chewed on my lip while he carefully gathered my hair into his hands and went about tying the white string around the wet mess. 'Why don't you have any braids?'

Kili's fingers brushed the nape of my neck and I stiffened, my cheeks heating up. Fili, from the other side of the clearing, shared an amused look with Dwalin. Funny thing is, they had thought I was so _blind_ that I would not notice it.

'I would wear them, sometimes,' he said, hands pausing. 'But I am the less experienced out of all the male Dwarves here. Many are trained in combat, are scribes and have been taught under higher Dwarves - I have done none of those things. Only after reclaiming Erebor will I feel comfortable to wear a braid in my hair'.

I frowned. 'You're leaving something out'. I half-turned to him, realizing that he had finished tying my hair. 'Go on, tell me. I hardly get all judgmental or freaked out about anything people tell me. I'm a good listener'.

Kili looked ready to bolt. 'I don't- _fine_ then. It is common, though not always fixed, that a males Dwarfs hair will be braided after gaining this status, by a woman that he has..._lain_ with. It is a right of entry, of a kind. A _ritual_. Parents will braid their children's hair when they are young, but their are specific kinds of braids on the elder Dwarves, and you know _why _they wear them from the _type_ of braid that they wear'.

I had actually found it quite interesting. 'I _think _I understand, there's just a lot of different cases in which you _can _wear one, though you can wear one despite not _earning _one'. I nodded, mouth open slightly. '...Okay, I _think _I get it. So _that's _what Fili meant about purity, I _get _it now. Jeez, all of this for some hair _braiding_'.

Kili smiled, looking truly amused. 'Once you have grasped the basic outline, there is not much need to know anything else'.

I nodded, then stalled with a hot feeling burning in my stomach. '_It is common, though not always fixed, that a males hair will be braided after gaining this status by a woman that he has...lain with'. _The heck was he going to _lay with? __  
_

I know, okay? I know I should have been worrying about other things, and I _was. _I _always _was. Yet, the idea of Kili celebrating his success with a Dwarf woman, so _intimately-_

It set my teeth on edge.

'What's wrong?' he asked. His hair looked quite clean and fluffy, now newly washed. 'You look ill'.

I shook my head and played with my ponytail. 'Nothing, nothing. Thank you, by the way,' I said, referring to my hair. I couldn't quite get rid of that feeling of _wrongness _in my stomach, that..._jealousy._

'Oh, _glorious,' _said Gloin loudly, though his voice was heavy with sarcasm. 'Bear prints! Gandalf, look, _bear prints!'_

Gandalf turned quickly, alert.

From then on out, I remember that things got rather interesting.

* * *

**This is quite a 'settle into the book' chapter. I wanted to establish some Dwarven themes, some Millie/Kili bonding, some Fili teasing, and Thorin being a little kinder. More wil happen in the next chapter, I promise. **

**I know it may seem that Kili and Fili are quite open with Millie about a few things, but when you think about it, they _are_ careful about how they talk to her about such things. Although I _want _to establish a bond with Millie and Fili that shows an easy bromance kind of thing. With Kili...well, he's still rather awkward with Millie, bless him.**

**Guys, the reviews. I'm almost of 500. It's amazing. Thank you so much. **


	16. Homesick

'It is as I thought,' said Gandalf. 'Beorn must have been out the night before. He sometimes comes this far upon changing skins, to ward away dangerous beasts, or to gather food from further away. That means he may still be out here'. From his voice, I could not tell whether this was good or bad.

'_What?' _snapped Bilbo, pausing in stretching his hands above his head. He looked startled. I had just been _very_ confused, not quite sure what Gandalf was on about. 'A _skin-changer?'_

I looked at Kili, who still sat beside me. He looked quite worried himself, as did the rest of the Dwarves. 'What's a skin-changer?' I had asked him, my voice loud enough for the others to hear. Although, by this point I'd had a good idea as to _what _Beorn was, and why he had _anything_ to do with the bear print in the mud. It all sounded rather 'Team Jacob', to me.

'Gandalf is saying that Beorn is a man who is sometimes a man, but he is sometimes a _bear-'_

Gandalf looked very unimpressed. 'Do not try and _scare _the girl with your words, Gloin. Skin-changers are men who, as Gloin said, change from man to animal. In this case, Beorn may change to the form of a bear. Some say he is a bear descended from the great ancient bears of the mountains, and some say he is a man descended from the first men who lived there. Personally, I believe the latter'.

I turned to Gandalf to give him a bland look. 'That _does_ seem like the more believable one, doesn't it?'

'Is it not..._dangerous_ to-' began Bilbo, but was quickly cut off by Gandalf.

'Despite Beorn's enchantment, he is a perfectly stable man. Although slightly bad tempered at times, he will not try to _eat _you, my good fellow,' said the Wizard, while the other Dwarves looked quite discomforted at the notion of being eaten.

I could second that notion.

'Well, _that's_ a relief,' grumbled Dwalin, quite sarcastically.

Bilbo still did not look as calm as the others, although _they_ didn't look as calm as _Gandalf_. Myself, I had no idea what to expect and simply went along with whatever they wanted to do. It was what I normally did, anyway.

We walked again after that. I strayed close to Fili and Kili, as I always did, and let the sun dry my clothes. I stayed quite quiet, too tired to even bother to voice up any opinion to what they were talking about. I thought of what Gandalf had said, as well as Fili. They spoke of mine and Kili's not-yet-decided relationship as if it were a simple thing, but it was far from it.

They just didn't seem to understand that I was used to a different kind of way of dealing with things. A simpler, slower way - we had not even attempted to kiss, let alone talk about_marriage. _Hell, for all I knew, he was completely oblivious and felt nothing for me!

'We are getting close!' said Gandalf. 'We are now at his bee-pastures'. And so we were. In the distance, I could see the faint buzzing of slow, lazy and _big _bees, hovering around square, yellow bee hives.

Yikes.

We walked through fields of long grass, and Bilbo sneezed and fumbled for something to blow his nose on, but then quickly remembered the absence of his, as Dori called it, snot-rag._Charming_, I know.

We continued along, the Dwarves muttering odd songs, Bombur telling a joke that had me - _me! - _blushing a little and Kili pushing his fingers against my back when my foot had gotten caught in a small dip in the ground. I had thanked him and continued on my way, not noticing his frown, nor Fili's swift punch to his shoulder. I hadn't really noticed a lot, I still stand by the fact that the sun and the grass had made me dizzy and tired.

Finally, the sky - which had been darkening steadily - grew so dark that Thorin finally said, 'We will camp here tonight. Fili, Kili, go and scout the area for any signs of disturbance. Ori, pass me the berries and leaves that you gathered - it appears that our supper will _not_ be so filling tonight'.

I practically moaned in horror at the thought of it.

I was kept busy as Dori approached me with a broken glove and asked me to sew it for him. As Ori shared out the share of berries and mint leaves, I went about fixing Dori's glove, the needle feeling too small and slippery in my tired hands.

'You alright, lass? You seem out of sorts today'.

I nodded, though agreed silently with him. I just felt a little lost and tired. 'I'm fine, just need some proper food and sleep, I guess,' I told Dori, who nodded in complete understanding.

'You're good with your sewing,' he told me, and I smiled quite happily, glad that they thought of me as useful for something. Although I was not passionate about it, it was quite nice to return to my talent of fixing and sewing. It had felt a little bit like home - natural.

'Thank you,' I replied, smiling. 'Right, _done_. There you go'.

He thanked me happily and slipped the glove onto his hand, wandering away to gather his own share of the 'meal'. As soon as he left, Kili and Fili were plopping down next to me, while Kili handed me a leaf with berries and mint leaves on it.

'We lost our _plates_ too,' he explained unhappily as I took the leaf.

I snorted, then glanced out to the scattering of pine trees and the small field. The floor was dry with dirt and pine needles, and the sky was especially starry. 'I always get freaked out when I look at the stars,' I muttered, popping a berry into my mouth. Fili spoke in soft tones with Dwalin, and Kili stared into the fire that we had prepared. His eyes were on me at my words.

'Why?' he'd asked, crossing his legs out in front of him. The fire had made he features even more lovely to look at, and I quickly tore my gaze away, nibbling at my lip and looking directly up at the sky.

'Don't look the same as they do at home,' I replied, shrugging. 'It's nice though. There is so much light pollution where I'm from, that you hardly get to see stars like _this_. When I first got here, I couldn't stop staring at them. Now though - I dunno, I guess it just makes me _homesick'. _I furrowed my brow, searching for any set of stars that I might recognize. 'Sometimes I don't think that I miss home as much as I _should_'.

I looked away quickly from the sky, blushing deeply and shuffling awkwardly into a hunch. 'Er, _sorry. _That got deep and emotional _pretty_ quickly, didn't it?' I laughed.

Kili did not laugh in return. Instead, one of his hands stopped supporting his 'plate', and found my shoulder. I looked up at him, eyes wide. 'You shouldn't feel guilty for being content in where you are _now. _We all grow homesick, Millie. It is...sad, that you cannot find your way back home. I hope someday you will tell me more about your own land'.

_Quit being such a dreamboat, you horrible Dwarf!_

I had wondered if I could ever tell him. I knew I would, but _when?_ 'I will,' I told him. 'I don't know when, but I promise that I will, Kili'.

He smiled one of those smiles that just burst out of him from time to time. The kind that was childish yet charming. I couldn't help but return the smile, though mine was a lot more 'I'm laughing at you, you doofus'. Kili's grip on my shoulder tightened, and he said, 'You _do _look a lot better once you've bathed, you know,' he said, and I snorted.

'I know right?' I replied, popping another berry into my mouth. 'I'm very nearly _bearable_'.

As time went on, our conversation broke away and we began talking to others in the group, though Kili stayed by my side, and Fili by his. I was also hyper aware of Kili's hand, though not touching me, lingering on the floor next to my knee. I spoke to Balin of Erebor, wondering what the Kingdom had been like before the attack.

'Like no other,' he had told me, smiling quite fondly. 'Beauty beyond measure, and people who were good and loyal. There was always sunshine, and children and kites and a market - I hope you will witness the rebirth of the place, Millie'.

I nodded, realizing that I was not the _only_ one who was homesick. We all were. 'Me too, Balin'.

Sometime later, though I am not sure when, I must have nodded off with my chin resting against my chest, for Kili was shaking me awake, while Fili settled down closely next to him. I blinked blearily up at the dark Dwarf, noticing that the place had grown quite quiet and that the other Dwarves had slowly retreated onto the ground for sleep.

'I only felt like I'd _blinked-' _I had muttered, rubbing my forehead and straightening out my neck. It was true though, it had only felt like I had been asleep for a mere second. 'Crapping Hell, I miss my _cloak,'_ I'd moaned, rubbing my bare pulled away from me, kneeling still. He had on one of those serious looks that seemed quite foreign on his youthful face.

Fili shuffled up against the tree we sat near, and said a stern, 'Kili'.

Kili looked at his brother and then nodded, while I merely considered the basic idea of how long I had been asleep and why on earth my dream had involved my mothers toast and an episode of the Gilmore Girls. I don't even _like _that show.

'You are the least clothed out of his all,' he murmured, taking hold of my face in his hands. 'I would prefer to know that you are not growing ill with the chilly nights. Would it be more practical if we were to-?'

I smiled sleepily and pulled his hands from my face. 'If you're asking to cuddle, then I give you my _utmost _permission, my _Lord'. _I had wrinkled my nose then, while Kili had held in a laugh. 'I don't know what I'm talking about, I'm _tired,'_ I muttered quickly, crawling onto my side and facing the fire-lit face of Fili. He stared out into the woods, thinking.

Kili settled beside me a moment later, hesitant at first, but once I grabbed his hand and settled it over me, he grew into the confident and cocky Dwarf that I knew so well.

'_Eager_,' he observed teasingly, and his breath ghosted my neck and ear. I caught the soft smile of Fili before I closed my eyes, resting my head on Kili's arm and breathing in his earthy, solid scent.

I was far too tired to even begin to shoot back with my witty retorts, so I merely said, 'Shut up and sleep, Dopey'.

* * *

Do you want to know the most awful thing about being completely content? About being held very closely to a guy that you adore, with his nose pressed against the back of your neck, his hand clasping a fistful of your shirt and his scent so bloody _nice - _do you want to know what is _bad_ about that?

It is bad, because what if you need to_ pee?_

And I had, and that is the most awful thing. I had been _bursting _too, having not gone for my before-bed-pee hours previously. Upon opening my eyes, I had found that the clearing was still lit by the dimming fire, that Fili had finished his watch and was sleeping near mine and Kili's heads, and that it was _completely quiet._

I didn't want to _move. _He hadn't been this close to me before. We had never dared to sleep this close, not after the Goblin cave - but now, here we were, and I felt so completely content and _happy._

But I had needed a bloody _wee._

I knew that I was going to have to wake him up. I had once gone to the toilet alone, without warning any of them, and the consequences had involved a lot of, 'You could have been_killed!' _from the ever-so-dramatic Thorin, and knowing nods from Gandalf.

God, and his breath was all tickle-y against my neck. _Ngh._

'Kili,' I muttered, and had pressed my elbow to his stomach behind me. He awoke quickly, quite alert, and his grip on my shirt tightened. 'It's fine!' I whispered quickly, not wanting to wake Fili or anyone else, nor alert whoever was on watch.

'What's the matter?' I had wondered whether he knew how close we had gotten in sleep, how closely pressed against each other we had been. If so, he had said nothing.

His voice had been low with sleep, and I quickly felt guilty for waking him. 'I'm sorry,' I said. 'It's - I need a _wee, _man'.

There had been a brief pause, and then he began to shuffle awake. 'Come on then - can't let you go alone, not around _here_ at this time of night,' he murmured pulling me up with him. I noticed how he did not let go of my arm as he pulled me along, giving a brief nod to Gandalf who sat over the fire. The Wizard merely smiled back in understanding, and I'd blushed under his gaze.

'Don't you think it's safe around here?' I'd asked quietly, noticing that he had brought his sword with him. My own was on my belt, seeing as I never bothered to take it off, having not known how to reattach it.

Kili pulled me to a stop. 'Thorin does not deem it safe, not so close to Mirkwood - and nor do I'. He stepped back. 'Go behind that tree'. _Jeez, someone's moody when they're tired, aren't they?_

I sent him a baffled look. 'I'm not going _there. _You'll _hear _me!' I promptly went a little further than I should have, only to have Kili on me in a second, grabbing my wrist and pulling me back. 'Kili!' I'd snapped, irritated.

He stiffened quite quickly, mouth open to have a little sass-attack at me. He cocked his head, pulling me closer to him and I had quickly caught onto the warning of danger that he was sending.

My eyes widened. 'What?' I'd mouthed, too scared to whisper. Then, from behind him, I saw a great, hulking outline of something far too big to be human - to be anything but a_monster,_ an_ animal-_

I could only grab wildly for my Snowthorn while Kili did the same with his sword, shouting a throaty, '_Thorin!' _and pushing me behind him, much to my agitation. The Dwarves were on us in seconds, and so was the - what I then saw to be - _bear_. It reared and roared, pounding its feet against the ground as the Dwarves and Gandalf stumbled to us, axes and swords drawn.

'Kili? Millie?'

The bear became clearer once a cloud moved in the sky, and the place was lightened with moonlight. The bear was big and black, its teeth stark white against its fur.

Fili was by Kili and I in a second, and Gandalf was in front of us all, his voice strong and deep.

'Beorn!' he yelled. 'We are friends, not foes and I am Gandalf the Grey!' The Wizard held his staff high, while the rest of the Dwarves and Bilbo circled around each other, ensuring safety in their numbers. I was, of course, pushed to the back. 'Cease this!'

The bear, though still snarling, slammed its front paws onto the ground. His dark eyes considered the Wizard, Bilbo the Dwarves and I, and then something pretty messed up happened.

The had bear started to turn into a man.

First the paws were hands, and then fur was skin, the snout was a nose, the teeth were less sharp, the dark hair retreated to the head. It had been terrifying, yet fascinating to watch. The man who then stood before us was broad, dark and glaring, his almond eyes fixed on Gandalf and Gandalf alone. I noticed _one _thing though-

I peeked over Kili's shoulder gave a high giggle. 'Oh my gillyweed, a penis'. Thank the Lord that it was only Kili who had heard me, for he gave a little start and sent me a horrified look, pushing me further behind him.

But seriously, Beorn was _hu-_

'Who are you?' said the man, completely nonplussed by his nudity. I guess that's gonna happen though, right? He's not gonna just appear in his clothes again, after...turning into a bear. 'And what do you want?'

Gandalf turned to looked at us over his shoulders, and brought both himself and Bilbo forward, understandably thinking that Bilbo's tact would effectively make Beorn trust us that little bit more. I had hoped so, because I was still sleepy, and I was still bursting for the toilet. He approached Beorn, secluding their talk from the rest of us.

'So that's the skin changer,' murmured Dwalin, watching as the three men conversed away from us. 'What does Gandalf and the Halfling have to say to him that we cannot?'

'Probably polite, _nice_ things,' I put in, still quite shaken by the whole thing. 'Can't we _ever _get a peaceful nights sleep - _ever?'_

Thorin started forward, and any reply that I would have received was lost. 'Gandalf,' he'd said, and Beorn looked to him, as did Gandalf and Bilbo. 'My name is Thorin Oakenshield, Son of Thráin-' he started, all puffing chests and deep voice.

Beorn waved his large hand. 'Gandalf has told me your story, my man. You wish to seek a place to stay after losing your things? I must say, a fight with Goblins is a nasty thing to find yourself involved in. I sympathize if you have been having trouble with _them_. And I hear that you have a woman in your presence?' His dark eyes peered toward our group.

I raised my hand, still being forced to stay at the back by not only Kili, but now Fili. 'Here,' I called.

'I apologize, if I frightened you and your male companion. I am often protective of my home and my wood - the part that is mine, anyway. I also apologize for my current state of dress, it is most easy for my change,' he explained, and Gandalf merely hummed in agreement, while Bilbo blushed. I felt for him, in all honesty, from his height, he must be completely level with-

'That's _fine_!' I had replied, maybe a little _too _brightly.

Beorn paused and considered our company. 'Perhaps you can tell me more of your tale at my house. Follow me, it is not far from here - merely half an hours walk in this direction'.

* * *

Beorn's House was magnificent. There were tables, chairs, rugs, wooden walls, wooden floors, mugs, ale, fire, furs - the place reminded me of a cabin in the woods, though much larger and much richer. The chairs were shaped like bears heads, and the hall that we stood in had a fire going in the middle, where the many chairs surrounded.

Beorn had been nice, perhaps one of the people that I had met in my life that I will always remember for his sheer..._cool_-ness, I guess. The guy gave us food, demanded our story from us, whispered in a language to animals that was like animal speak gone human. We sat in chairs, biting into bread, filling our empty stomachs and warming our cold skin.

I'll always remember my time at Beorn's house. It was a time that I like to refer to as 'the calm before the storm'.

* * *

**Next chapter will be Beorn's house! I'm kind of easing into a more intimate relationship between Kili and Millie, as well as showing her maturity that she'll need to have from now on. But, come on, she's still as immature and awkward as ever.**

**I know that this is different from the book, but I didn't want to go straight by it, as I'm sure Peter Jackson won't. I'm not changing the scenes majorly, the outcome will be the same, I just wanted to make it so that you're not reading the book, basically.**

**Thank you for the reviews, they are truly amazing. Also, thank you to my followers on my tumblr account **_kiliyousosilly_!


	17. The Nervous Breakdown

In case all of you are impatiently waiting to find out about the state of my bladder, you'll be happy to know that I had successfully peed quite happily at Beorn's house, leaving me with that feeling of comfort and sleepiness.

Sleepiness because Beorn's fire was blazing, the taste of wine had me quite relaxed, and because the guy (Beorn the Bear) was telling, quite possibly, the most _boring_ story known to man.

'Aye,' he said, tipping his head to Thorin. 'The animals are my friends here, and I am equal with them. I do not feed on them, nor herd them. They wander freely, and I talk with them'. I half listened to the story of his life here. We had long wandered away from our own stories and my awkward explanations of 'Yes, I'm a female Dwarf'.

The other Dwarves were wandering about the hall, smoking new found pipe weed and reveling in this comfort that we had found. I had been quite content in talking to no one, and resting against my own chair with the bear head engravings. To this day I wonder whether Beorn had made it all himself, but I suppose that he must have.

'Hullo,' said Bilbo, falling into the chair beside me which had once held Kili. The Hobbit looked quite happy and full, puffing on his pipe and glancing around the hall at the other Dwarves. 'It's quite nice here, isn't it?'

I nodded, smiling. 'Yeah. Aren't you worried that he's going to end up being some crazy axe murderer or something, though? He lives in a _house _in the _woods, _for God's sake,' I pointed out, taking a tiny sip of my drink and raising my eyebrows pointedly, as if my point was the most valid of them all.

Bilbo merely blinked. 'Pardon?'

'Nothing'.

The Hobbit settled back into his chair, and then turned to look at me, mouth open. 'You know, I never quite got the chance to thank you for being so kind to me all of those times - with Thorin, and the others Dwarves. So, well, thank you, Millie'.

I waved a hand at him, wrinkling my nose. 'Don't mention it, man. Just looking out for a fellow short person'. I then grew quite sullen at remembering my current height. 'Being short _sucks - _I'm kind of scared Beorn's going to _stand_ on me or something'.

Bilbo huffed out a small laugh at that. 'I can see what you mean. He is rather large, isn't he?'

I'd smiled quite secretly at that. 'Yeah, _tell _me about it'. Although, as you have probably guessed, my mind was on things other than Beorn's obvious height and width. Snort.

I cast my eyes over to Bilbo upon seeing him fiddling quite a lot in his chair. His hand was hovering over the flap of his pocket, and his eyes were focused quite fondly on the fire. His jaw worked as he thought, and I remember quickly thinking that this was not the way Bilbo Baggins normally acted. 'Bilbo,' I'd said, drawing my eyes from his pocket to his face. 'What's that in your pocket-?'

The Hobbit burst out with quite an unexpected question then. 'Excuse my bluntness, but are you courting Kili-?'

He was, of course, cut off by the Dwarf himself, who came bumbling over (quite drunk) with a mug of ale in his hands. Bilbo shut his mouth once I sent him a startled, horrified look. '_What_ about me?' said Kili, standing quite awkwardly between both mine and Bilbo's chairs.

'He didn't say Kili!' I yelped, looking up at the Dwarf. 'He said _kitty - _he was asking about my cat!'

Kili tilted his head, while Bilbo swallowed his smile with a quick sip of his brimming drink. 'I'm almost _certain-' _started Kili, but was quickly cut off by my annoyed proclamation of,

'Kili, shut up. You are _drunk_'. With that, I stood and pulled him away from the sorry looking Bilbo. 'Jeez man, you _stink _of ale,' I muttered, leaning away from him. '_Hate _the smell of that stuff, reminds me of those filthy nights at Uni'.

'I really have no idea what you are talking about most of the time,' said Kili stepping onto the platform surrounding Beorn's dining table. Around it sat Ori, Nori, Dori, Bofur and Bombur.

'I'm a woman clouded by _mystery,' _I murmured, spinning him around and sitting him on the chair. He looked hazily up at me. 'I thought Dwarves could _hold_ their drink?' Before he could reply, Beorn announced that he would be going to bed, and many of the Dwarves stood to wish him a good sleep, and to thank him for the food and the accommodation.

'Yeah,' I said. 'Cheers. I haven't been _this_ full since Rivendell'.

He smiled quite charmingly and dipped his head to kiss my hand. Really, he had to lower himself quite far, due to the fact that I was around four foot, and he was around seven or eight. 'That is quite alright. Sleep well, my Lady Dwarf'. His old, almond eyes peered up at me, and I blushed, waving him away with stuttering words.

Beorn had then retreated to his room after sending an amused smirk to somewhere behind me, and the Dwarves soon settled into their seats once again, their voices quieter and their presence calmer.

'He seems a little off to me,' said Kili, now standing behind me. I'd turned to him, confused.

'Yeah, he's a little rough around the edges, but the guy's alright,' I had concluded. 'He's given us _food _and _blankets_. Quit being such a moody drunk, Kili. I thought _you_ thought that he was a 'respectable man', or whatever!'

'Think the lad is jealous, lass,' said Dori, and Ori had given a delighted little laugh. I looked down at them, brow furrowed.

'Huh?'

Kili glared at them and walked quickly away, tugging on my sleeve and leaving behind the other Dwarves laughter. 'What were they on about?' I had asked cheekily, only to be shushed by Kili. 'You _are _jealous! Do not fret, dearest Kili. For my heart can only belong to-' I tore my hand away from his, noticing the pile of apples on the table. 'These _apples. _Ugh, look how _juicy _they look!'

Kili stood quite awkwardly beside me as I bit into an apple, rolling my eyes in pleasure. 'I _love _apples,' I said, between mouthfuls.

'I can see that,' said Kili. Seeing my glare, he had quickly taken a large gulp of his drink, his amused smile hidden beneath the brim. 'What _is _your opinion on Beorn? Fili seems to think that he is unhinged - living out here alone-'

I snorted. 'And the fact that he can turn into a bear when he fancies it - that's a little odd too,' I'd added, looking at my apple core and then flinging it in the general direction of one of the dogs that wandered by. '_Huh_, I didn't know dogs liked apples. But these dogs walk on their bloody hind legs, so I guess that I shouldn't be _that _surprised'.

That statement had been truthful, in case you're wondering. It seemed that Beorn's close relationship with his animals had spawned the fact that the animals now acted like humans from time to time.

Kili ignored my comment and leaned forward, _majorly _invading my personal space. 'It sounded like you were flirting with him'. The mug was still perched in his large hands, and I leaned away from him.

My next look aimed at Kili was both baffled and annoyed. 'I _beg_ your pardon?'

Kili had apparently realized his mistake, because he'd then said, 'I didn't mean it like _that, _Millie. You just - you _giggled _when he..._kissed _your hand goodnight'. His dark eyes rolled sideways, as if the very prospect was ludicrous.

I couldn't help but laugh at him, and this was apparently the wrong thing to do. Kili looked as if his pride had been destroyed, and I looked like I was _seriously _making fun of him. 'Oh, don't get all stroppy, Mister. _You're_ the one accusing me of being some giggling, flirting.._maiden!' _The face that I had pulled after this statement was enough for Kili to guess that I hadn't a clue what I was talking about.

Kili's face was near horrified. 'Sh!' he hissed sharply, catching the curious eyes of Thorin.

'No,' I said, jabbing a finger into his chest. 'You- no, _give_ me that,' I snapped, taking the ale form his hands clumsily and putting it onto the table quite roughly, only resulting in the drink slopping over the sides. '_You _do not accuse _me _of _anything _like that again, comprende? I realize that things work differently here, but I am _allowed _to talk to another man without it being all _scandalous. _Heck, I thought it was _okay_ for Dwarven women to be all forward?'

Kili shifted. 'Well, yes. Oppose to other cultures-'

'Well then _quit _it, man. I mean, I _saw _the guy naked, okay? Excuse me if I'm a little bit all giggly and blushing when I'm around him'.

Kili went sour once again.

'Oh, _Jesus-' _I threw my hands into the air, glad that I had the sense to have an angry _quiet _rant. 'I am _very _stressed right now. I mean, _first _of all I find myself here, and then I find out that I've shrunk nearly _two feet. _Then it's all like '_let's go kill a dragon!' _and I'm like '_say what?' _and everyone is so _freaked out _by what I say, and it's so_ difficult _to try and hold back on my own language, and my own customs'. In case you are wondering, I _had_ been having the mental breakdown that you all waited for so patiently. 'And I'm _dead _Kili, I'm _dead'._

My hand had flown to my mouth in utter horror. My wide, hazel eyes had found his, and to my mortification, I felt the moisture in my eyes and the wobbly lip and the furrowed brow. 'Oh my, I'm _dead'._

Kili glanced behind him at the chatting and eating Dwarves, looking entirely lost. 'I am _far_ too drunk for this,' he had muttered, before pulling me off to a further part of the hall and through some wooden, sliding doors. While the Dwarves would camp out in the main hall, Beorn had insisted that I take this smaller room.

By the time the door slid shut behind us, I was heaving out great, high sobs, clutching my hair tightly. 'You don't- you don't _get it, _Kili. I'm so lost. I want my room and my mum and her perfume smell. My memory foam mattress and my stupid bloody cat - but then I _don't. _I love it here, I _do_. It's everything that my world isn't, and I couldn't go back even if I wanted, because Elrond says that I'm _dead!'_

Kili had looked as if he wanted to call me mental, but was too worried that I would grow even more hysterical.

'Kili,' I'd choked out, staring him dead in the eye. 'Kili, I think I'm having a nervous breakdown, or an asthma attack, or like, an _epiphany-'_

I had felt quite bad for him, you know. I mean, he was drunk, all of his friends and family were just outside that sliding door, eating and drinking and sharing stories, completely unaware that he was dealing with an angry, upset and sobbing woman. I felt for him, I really did. That's why I still admire the way that he had taken my firmly by my shoulders and said, 'Millie- _Alexandria'._

He had sounded so much like my mother that my full on sobs and quickly turned to embarrassing little chokes.

'What are you trying to tell me?' he'd asked, and I had known then that it was time, that I had to tell someone and that if I would tell _anyone, _it would have always been him.

So, I had told him. You remember that I had only told a few people? Well, Kili was the third. Gandalf and Elrond being the first two, of course. Although, I'm pretty sure that Gandalf also told Galadriel. Of course, back then I had not know who she was.

'I couldn't tell you before,' I'd rushed out, wishing that my cheeks weren't so wet, my voice so strangled and my eyes so red. God, I was an _ugly _crier. 'Gandalf knows, and Elrond - _that's _what we had been talking about that time in Rivendell. I'm not-' I groaned, and Kili's hand dropped from my shoulders as I had moved away from him. 'I don't know how to say it without it sounding too weird!'

I walked over to the small table in the room and stood in front of it, well aware that Kili stood away from me, staring with those stupid bloody eyes.

Finally, I said, 'Gandalf said that I'm not from Middle Earth, and that's true. _Very _true. I'm from...somewhere else. It's _very _different from here. The culture, the people _- all different. _There aren't any Dwarves, Hobbits or Elves or Orcs - only Men. Humans. I-I...there are these books and films, but I never really liked them nor disliked them...I just never took _notice _of them'. It had never occurred to me that Kili would not know what a 'film' was.

I rubbed my forehead angrily. 'Jesus. Um. I mean, I _think _they're based on _this. _They must be, yeah. I mean, I saw the posters at bus stops and trailers in the cinema - and it all fits'.

Kili started forward. 'Millie, I don't-'

I held up a hand. 'They're like books - history books, let's call them. I'm from the future, this is the past. My future is very different from this past. No Dwarves - nothing. I was 5'6, Kili. I was _tall. _And then I got thrown into this world, a world that I know _nothing _about - and I'm _short_. _That's _why I'm so useless, why I'm clueless and _terrified-'_

I held up my hands, snorting disdainfully. 'Just thought you'd want to know,' I had finished lamely.

Kili had been staring with that hard mask on. The one where his eyes were all big and his mouth a line and his whole body just _still. _I stepped forward, looking desperately at him and his eyes found mine and I knew that it was okay that I had told him, that I was _supposed _to.

'I didn't think that you'd believe me'.

'I think you've handled the whole thing quite well, considering everything,' Kili huffed out. 'Only you, Millie. _Only _you could have a story like that'. He moved forward with ungraceful movements, and we met with a hug that was loose and tight and something that I had needed very much. 'I'm sorry,' he'd muttered into my ear, and he _still _smelt of ale. 'You've been carrying many secrets, some that would break even the strongest Dwarfs confidence'.

I snorted into his chest. 'Have you _seen _me? I'm a wreck of crying, falling over and laughing inappropriately'.

'I still don't quite understand it all, but I think I can understand the basic story that you've told me. As..._strange _as it is'. There was a pause in which I relished in his close contact, the rumble of his voice, the smell of him, ale and all. 'You do not want the others to know?'

I shook my head in his arms. 'They can't. I...I think I will tell Thorin sometime. I needed to tell you,' I said honestly, closing my eyes and leaning into him. Screw corny, I wasn't letting this moment go. 'I needed to. You _are _handling this well though, I gotta say'.

Kili shrugged into the embrace 'I've learnt to expect nothing other than the unexpected from you, Millie'. I'd snorted, nodding. 'Would you like me to talk you to sleep, my Lady Dwarf - or whatever you are. Once we gather the things that Beorn gave us, we'll be on our way early tomorrow morning'.

I had pulled away from him, rubbing at my tear sticky cheeks. 'Sure thing, Prince-y'.

Once I had settled into the futon on the floor with Kili's eyes on me, I looked up at him expectantly. Something had been different from that moment on, and we both knew it. There was an understanding, a secret out in the opening. How he had handled told me that Kili was worth my time, and that was enough.

The dark Dwarf settled beside my head, sitting cross legged and shrugging off his heavy leathers, boots and his weapons, until he was left in the blue cotton shirt. He looked down at me, and I looked up at him.

'Tell me about when you were younger,' I had asked him. Kili had nodded once, and then stared at the wooden wall opposite us, folding his hands in his lap.

'Fili and I were raised in the Blue Mountains by our mother, Dis. When we were young, our father died in battle with Orcs. His name was Kaladrak, and according to our mother, he most resembled Fili'. Somehow, my hand found the material of Kili's shirt in my sleepiness, and he had looked half down at me. 'Thorin was very involved in our childhood, and taught us much of what we know. He named Fili Heir around forty years ago, and myself thirty. Balin was also a teacher to us, as was Bofur-'

Although I had tried to stay awake, I had fallen asleep to those words. I found out more though, don't worry. In any moment of quiet I would always ask Kili of his childhood and his home, in an attempt to gather as much information as I could.

That is where the night had ended for me, but as I had found the next morning, the Dwarves and Bilbo and Gandalf had stayed up later than I, listening to the sound of bears scratching on the outside walls, sharing stories and filling up their stomachs.

Thankfully, they hadn't noticed my nervous breakdown.

* * *

**I know, it's not all that long, and it's very Millie/Kili focused, but I think that by this time in the story they should be growing closer on an emotional level. She told him, though you guess right if you think that he doesn't entirely understand. Yeah, he gets it, but it was all rather sudden. They'll discuss it more, don't you worry. **

**Next chapter will feature more Bilbo/Dwarf/Gandalf. **

**I know that things were a little shitty there guys, but thank you all for being so lovely and awesome. I cannot thank you all enough, seriously. I don't want to go on, so I'll stop. But thank you.**

**On another note, I saw Les Miserables and oh my, it was beautiful. If you haven't seen it, please go. The ending had me flapping my hands about and crying - it wasn't pretty.**

**Thank you for the reviews. To the negative ones, hey, you helped me get over 600!**


	18. A Slightly Naked Domestic Goddess

The world around me shifted, and a warmth had left my side. Something soft ran across my cheek, and I had wrinkled my nose, a word slipping from my lips that was barely even a_word._

'Goodnight, Millie'.

* * *

I had woken up the next morning with my hand stretched out at my side, my blanket tucked under my chin and a soft knocking at the wooden, sliding door. Kili was nowhere to be seen.

'Millie?'

I coughed and sat up, rubbing away the sleep in my eyes. 'Yeah?' I half mumbled, kicking back the covers.

'Breakfast is ready,' said the Dwarf from the other side of the door, who I had then realized to be Bofur. 'I'll need to go and wake up the Hobbit now,' he said, and I had listened to his retreating footsteps before standing awkwardly from the futon, still quite sleepy. The windows had been filtered with morning light, and I had felt quite content with my new found comforting sleep.

But, alas, breakfast awaited.

After sorting out my tied up hair, washing my face in a bowl of water beside the bed and grabbing my bag, I had started out of the bedroom to find the Dwarves gathered around the table, all in their respected chairs.

'Mornin' lass,' said Gloin, biting around a large mushroom as I sat next to him and Fili. I had caught the eye of Kili, had given a grimace of a smile and then taken my own plate from the pile, filling it with mushrooms, toast, egg and jam.

I was embarrassed about the night before. Beyond embarrassed. I was glad that I had told him, of course, but what now? Did we talk about it, or did we let it hang in the air awkwardly?

I looked up as I settled back into my chair with my plate. Kili was looking at me, and amused and exasperated look on his face, having apparently noticed my complete inability to address what had happened the night before.

Finally, I gave him a proper smile, and he looked away triumphantly.

'What time will we leave?' I had asked, just as Beorn entered the room with a washcloth in his hands. The brute of a man considered our company as we ate, his eyes lingering on Bilbo.

'Soon. Later today,' said Thorin, eating away at his toast. 'We must consider the fact that we are to enter the terrible forest of Mirkwood-'

'Aye,' agreed Beorn, sitting heavily in the largest of all the chairs. 'I have heard tales of how the safety of Mirkwood has near deteriorated - spiders as big as dogs, no sunlight, a constant stench, swamps. You wish to wander through this forest?' he had asked Thorin, while my mouth had fallen open in horror at the idea of _big spiders._

If you're thinking about the spiders in Harry Potter, then you are _spot_ on.

'Spiders as big as dogs?' said Bofur, worry in his voice. The other Dwarves looked equally as put off. Bifur had simply plopped a mushroom into his cup of water, but everyone chose to ignore that.

Gandalf, who had not spoken much, said, 'Radagast spoke of spiders finding his home. You may have heard of him as he is a Wizard also and resides on the western eaves of southern Mirkwood'. Gandalf looked to Beorn, who nodded once and slowly.

'I've have - an alright fellow he is, too'.

_Trolls_ I could handle. Orcs, Wargs and Goblins - _those_ I could deal with, although just _barely_. But spiders - _spiders _- as big as _dogs_ had me considering bolting out of the door. Instead, I stuffed a piece of toast into my mouth to stop any comment of, 'I don't care what Hagrid says, we are _not _following the spiders'.

After breakfast we all went about sorting ourselves for the worst part of our journey, all in our own ways. Beorn warned that he would be gone for an hour. 'Business to attend to,' he'd grumbled, hefting the wooden plates from the wooden table. 'An Orc pack, not too far from here. Near the Carrock, I think'.

Thorin was alert and standing. 'We will help you, it was us who drew them near'.

With a wave of his large hand, Beorn had said, 'There is no need. I have my _own _company, just as you have yours. _I_ prefer to ward away any unwanted guests from my home'.

The discussion was finished then, as almost everyone knew that by 'company', Beorn had meant some rather _furry _allies. Ha.

I hadn't quite known what to do with myself. The others were either sharpening their weapons, sitting in chairs and talking, sorting through packs given to them by Beorn, or crawling back onto the floor for some much needed rest. Since coming to Middle Earth, I hadn't become used to...well, just _relaxing. _I hadn't had the internet to distract me, nor the television or books.

'The 'company' that Beorn speaks of were scratching at the walls last night, though I suppose you were far too preoccupied to notice,' said Thorin, appearing by my side. I looked lazily up at him, cocking a brow. 'Kili came from your room an hour after you both disappeared'. He nodded to Beorn, who past by us and disappeared out to attend to his 'business'.

I'd wrinkled my nose at him, though had been quite surprised that Kili had actually stayed with me until I fell asleep. Then again, I _had _remembered something about him leaving while I slept. 'Thorin, we didn't, um, _braid each others hair _or anything,' I said quietly, glad that the others had been quite distracted. Fili and Kili were sat in a corner, legs propped up beside one another.

Thorin actually smiled at that, but then he grew quite serious again. 'I know that you are close with my nephews, and it is because of that, that I know you _are _good enough for him._Please_,' he had said, as I had opened my mouth to protest. 'I am not so old that I do not notice what is in front of me. Kili is young, and he is reckless. But Fili - Fili has a good judgment of character and if he has accepted you, then I trust that you are not quite so...unworthy of my nephews undivided attention. Fili knows his brother well, and he knows what he needs. If you are it, then so be it'.

I spluttered for roughly three seconds before Thorin cut over me.

'_But_,' he said, tone darker and head bowed. I cast a nervous glance over to Fili and Kili, but only the eldest caught my eye. The _little shit _merely smirked. 'Kili does not need a constant distraction on this quest - both he and Fili are my Heirs, and _that _is why I allowed them on this journey, and because they are family. I cannot risk losing my sister's sons. Do you understand?'

I stood taller, angrier. 'I'm not a _distraction_, and I _thought_ I had proved as much. I'm learning, and I'll do anything I can to make sure that Kili _or _Fili don't try and risk their lives to stop any stupid situation that I'll probably get into. Do _you _understand?'

Thorin's mouth stretched back into a smirk. 'Oh,' he had sighed, straightening up. 'You will create a _challenging_ little Heir, won't you?'

Before I could so much as throw a wooden plate at his smirking head, the _supposedly _brooding and dark King went on his way, falling into step beside Dwalin, who lingered by the open door.

This left me, once again, standing alone in the middle of the great hall, my mouth agape.

_'Why is everyone so interested in my unborn kids_?' I'd muttered.

Still a little dazed and mildly amused, I approached Kili and Fili. The latter gave me a little knowing smirk, while the youngest looked up at me, dark eyes wide with curiosity. 'Want to carry on with my training? We've got awhile to ourselves before we leave, and I'm still pretty useless'.

Kili nodded quite happily, glad to be of use. Fili, on the other hand, snorted. '_That_ can be a job for you, brother'.

I glared at him, hands on my hips. 'I wasn't asking _you'._

Fili smiled. '_Good_, then'.

I still think that it was _him _who got Thorin on my grill about Kili and I. It seemed like something Fili would do, the cunning, braided arse, he was.

Kili and I left Fili to smirk alone, but we were caught up by Dwalin, Gloin and Balin, who inquired as to why we were going outside. We told them, they laughed and then asked if they could join us. Then Nori, Dori and Ori caught on, also asking to watch me train. In the end, we were standing outside Beorn's house, the sun shining, with six Dwarves teaching me how to use a sword.

'You'll want to hold it firmly, lass,' said Gloin, standing before me and holding his own blade. 'Aye, like that. Your stance is good enough. A good, light blade that you have there'.

Dori pushed forward, tutting. 'No, no. _He's _got it all wrong. You want to be further sideways - _yes!'_

Ori piped in with, 'I prefer something lighter myself - something you can aim with'.

Nori merely said, 'Shut up, Ori'.

Balin just laughed.

Kili looked on with an amused smile, his own sword dangling from his hand and scraping against the dirt floor. 'I thought I was the one teaching Millie swordplay?' he questioned.

Dwalin snorted. 'There's a reason we moved onto archery when you were a Dwarfling,' he grumbled, and he and Balin shared a secret, amused look.

Kili had shut his mouth straight away.

It was Dwalin, that day, who had taught me how to spin away from an attack and then hit the target at a lower angle. He also taught me how to push forward and aim for the back. If it was not for these moves, I doubt I-

No. Not yet.

'Not half bad, lass,' sighed Dwalin, who was far taller than me and barely seemed out of breath, while I wiped sweat from my brow and exhaled deeply. 'We'll try and do a little everyday or so, how does that sound?'

It sounded bloody terrible, but I had known that I would need it, so I'd agreed.

It appeared that I had started a trend, because after that the other Dwarves began practicing their swordplay, specifically Ori, who refused to wield anything too heavy. 'I won't,' he'd said. 'There's not point if I'll just _drop _it'.

So, in the end, Dori and Nori had started to teach him how to use hunting knives. 'He's only doing it because you're here,' said Dori quietly, perhaps the harsher of the two oldest brothers. 'He'd be storming off in the other direction if we didn't have an audience,' he raised his eyebrows meaningfully, but I'd just scoffed in his face.

'I have that affect on people,' I had drawled, twirling Snowthorn in my hands and promptly dropping it onto the floor. Dori let out a bark of laughter and wandered off toward Nori, Ori and Dwalin.

I stooped down to pick Snowthorn up, but the shock of having the BFG (Beorn, who appeared out of nowhere) suddenly in front of me had me stumbling back a little, but I was quickly set right by said BFG. 'You're a clumsy Dwarf, aren't you?' Beorn had said. 'I saw you training with your sword - what is it called?' He went to pick it up, but I had quickly scrambled to get it.

'Snowthorn. Um, burns people who it doesn't belong to,' I had explained, shoving it with difficulty back into the scabbard. 'I've been meaning to ask you, do you have anywhere to bathe here? You don't really seem like the kind of guy to have a tub, so I'm guessing you like...bathe with the fish, or whatever?'

Beorn cracked a smile. 'Aye, I do. Around the back of the house, through the trees, there is a small stream. It gets bigger as it runs further into the forest, but it's hidden between some trees so you won't have to worry about anyone finding you. Would you like me to show you where it is?'

'Did you find the Orcs?' I'd asked nervously, noticing that he was a little sweaty and dirty. 'You were gone for around two hours, so I'm guessing you found something out there'.

Beorn nodded. 'Only a straggler. I...set a sign up, let's say. If any come near my hold, they will know that I am no Orc-friend'.

I'd sent him a funny look. 'Who _is?'_

'The Hobbit - Bilbo. He is a queer little thing, isn't he?' Beorn said suddenly as we rounded the back of his house. Behind it, there had been grass and trees, and we headed for said trees. 'A fidgety, nervous man - fine, though!' he'd insisted, upon seeing my guarded look. 'I simply mean that I know people as well as I know animals, and I know when someone is hiding something'.

With that, he stopped and pointed toward the trees. 'Just through there, on the other side of those pines and bushes. You know your way back?'

I looked pointedly at the house and the stables, which were directly in front of us. 'I'm pretty sure I can walk a hundred feet without getting lost, thanks,' I said, though not entirely unkindly.

Beorn just laughed and turned away, leaving me to mull over what he had said about Bilbo. The heck did _Bilbo _have to be all nervous and twitchy about? He was in Thorin's good books, which I had barely fit into, due to him thinking that I was corrupting his bloody nephew.

_Too sweaty to care._

The stream was just where Beorn had said it would be. I had guessed that it was connected to the same one that I had bathed in before, just smaller and less deep. Still, it had went up to my knees as I stood in the middle of it, my clothes, bag and Snowthorn in a bundle, away form the wetness. I had released my hair from the string and happily sunk onto my bum.

It was freaking cold, let me tell you.

The water had rippled happily past my naked body, and thanks to not having to worry about the Dwarves getting impatient, I had sat there for around ten minutes, rubbing between my toes, under my finger nails, my armpits, my face, my hair. After that, I had crouched and scuttled over to bring my clothes into the water, grimacing as they quickly clouded the stream with their dirt.

My black shirt was filthy, as were my breeches. Both were quickly lain out onto the grass, once dry. Next, I squeezed my socks beneath the water, and put those out on the ground. My bra was next.

It's probably quite sad that I had felt immensely content and happy by doing such a simple task. I had felt like quite the domestic Goddess.

I had then pulled myself out of the stream, still crouching low to avoid Gandalf, the Dwarves, Bilbo or Beorn seeing me. _I haven't thought this through. Now I've gotta sit here naked. Fab._

'Millie?'

'Oh, _bugger _no,' I had gasped, slamming myself onto the floor. His voice was close. _Very _close.

'Kili!' I'd yelped, scrambling further behind one of the bushes. A twig snapped on the other side. 'Kili - _stop!' _I'd all but screeched, waving a hand above the bush to show where I was.

'What in _Durin's _name is wrong?' He'd asked, alert and worried. 'I saw Beorn come out here with you, and then you did not come back with him. I waited, but-'

'Kili. I'm naked,' I'd said dramatically.

'..._What?'_

He'd sounded angry, alarmed, _confused._

_Kill me. Kill me now. _'Oh, not like _that. _Jesus man, I think I'd be _squished _if me and Beorn got it on, you jealous little minx. The guy would probably much rather get it on with, I don't know-' I cut myself off, drawing my legs up to my very naked and body and looking up at the bush behind me. I could just about see Kili's shadow. 'That doesn't matter. I'm waiting for my clothes to dry, because I washed them and went for a...bath, okay?'

Kili paused and I was met with silence. 'That _does_ make more sense'. Another pause. 'You are without _clothes._ _Any_one could have spied you out, without even bothering to call out your name first-!_'_

I rolled my eyes. 'It's very _gallant_ of you to think about my privacy, but could you _please_ chuck me your coat?'

'Why?'

'Why do you _think? _Doofus'.

There was the sound of scuffling, and then his jacket came flying overhead and landed just beside my soggy clothes. 'Turn around, please. Is there anyone else there?'

'No'.

'...Are you turned around, Kili?'

'_Yes,' _he'd said, affronted.

I had slid very ungracefully across the floor, annoyed that I was having to get dry dirt on myself after such a good clean. Kili's coat was big, thank God. I quickly pulled it around myself, ensuring that all of the clasps were fastened. And God, do you know how..._frustrating _it is, to be wrapped up in something so warm, that smelt just like _him_.

I nearly started drooling then and there.

'Howdy-doody,' I piped up, hopping up from behind the bushes. Kili stood on the other side of the bush, absent of, obviously, his coat. His eyes had lingered on me for that much longer, but I had quickly pushed past such things, gritting my teeth and blinking hard. 'This coat's pretty nice, you know. Very, er, _heavy _and - I don't know - _big?'_

It was true, the bloody coat was all thick leather. Kili had his hooded cloak beneath to keep away the rough, leather material - and here I was, naked and having it rubbing in all the worst places.

_Kinky_.

'This is just beyond awkward, isn't it?'

Kili met my eyes with an almost relieved smile. 'Not awkward, just- I'm not exactly used to female Dwarves being so open minded about their...'

'Hot bods?' I piped up with a snort, crossing my arms over my chest. Kili just stared. 'Er, nakedness - right,' I nodded firmly, hopping from one foot to another. 'I've gotta wait for my clothes to dry so...what's everyone doing?'

Kili'd hard gaze was firmly on my face. 'They've moved inside. Beorn is compromising with us what we are allowed to take with us once we leave, ponies included. I think Fili managed to convince him'.

'Thank _God'._

Kili still stared, I still shifted. Both of us were very aware of my attire.

'I had hoped to talk to you of last night, earlier,' started Kili, pushing his long hair aside. 'The others joined us though, didn't they? I just wanted to say that, well, I am...here. I'll always be here, to talk to you if you ever need it. What you told me is beyond anything I have heard of-'

I smiled, cutting him off with a, 'Kili, dude, _thank you_. It was nice to tell someone, I've been keeping it a secret for a while. I mean, Gandalf knows, but he's pretty occupied most of the time. So, I know you're there. You're _always_ bloody there, aren't you?' I'd mused.

There was a pause in which we both caught each other gazes. My jaw jumped at his look, which was so akin to how he had looked at me after the Stone Giants, when the Goblins had been attacking us...every time he had watched me go to sleep, and I had listened to his voice. It was on the edge of those looks, brinking on spilling everything to me.

'Kili-' I had started.

He had shaken his head quite firmly, walking toward me despite the separation. My mouth had snapped shut at his eyes, his _look._ 'Fili will have said something by now, Millie - I know that. I need to say-'

My heart had been hammering in my chest nervously, my hands grasping at Kili's coat, my toes digging into the dirt beneath us. It was then that Bombur had decided to shout over to us, and the maybe-confession, the words...well, they buggered right off.

Kili tilted his head, smiling slightly and tiredly. His eyes rolled to meet mine. 'Your clothes should be dry by now. Get dressed and we'll head back'. I opened my mouth, but he'd just shook his head. 'Millie. Later. There's time'.

In a fashion so like me, I had not listened to him. '...But what if there's not?'

The question had lingered between us, my voice quiet and full of tentativeness. That alone was odd enough. Kili's shoulders slumped, and I had regretted the words straight away. _I meant for _me_, not _you_. Idiot._

'Dress, Millie. We'll talk later'.

This time, I did as I was told.

* * *

All of us sat in the hall once again, though Gandalf stood and lent against his staff. I was now dressed and cleaner, though quiet. The walk back with Kili had been quick and tense, something that we were both not used to.

Beorn, though, had agreed to give us a pony each - _each! _I got my own pony! - and a horse for Gandalf, for our journey into the forest. And _food, _he gave us _food. _Nuts, apples, jars of dried fruits, pots of honey, baked cakes, bread, potatoes - stuff that would last us weeks, if we took care of it.

'You will not need to carry water,' he'd said, watching us each pack away our share of the food. 'Until you reach Mirkwood. There you will not find food or water so easily, nor will you find light. In there, the wild things are dangerous, and all you will be able to find is nuts to eat. I will give you skins to carry water, and bows and arrows. There is _one_ stream though,' he said, staring at Thorin. 'It is dark and deep, and it cuts off the path - do not drink form it, or bathe in it. It will make you drowsy and forgetful, or so I have heard'.

He paused, clasping his hands in front of him. His voice was deeper with his last words, and full of warning. 'And _never_ stray from the path'.

_Jeez Louise, be more blinking ominous._

'When will you leave?' he had asked them, staring around at the gathering of Dwarves, Hobbit and Wizard. We looked back, waiting for the answer.

Thorin looked at Dwalin, and then nodded once, his decision made.

'Now'.

* * *

**Okie pokie, that was quite nice to write. I know that I changed Beorn's house, and I know that I promised more Bilbo and Gandalf, but I think that I've built that up in this chapter. I'm quite looking forward to Millie bugging Bilbo in the next one, as well as revealing the ring. Dun, dun, duuuun! So yeah, relaxing, clean and happy Millie aside.**

**And o m g, Millie and Kili had a moment.**

**Okay, I just...the reviews! Albeit, a few of them were negative (thank you to the reviewers who, quite frankly, saluted those negative reviews with their middle fingers) but hey, every story gets their flames, right? Anyway, I just want to thank you guys again, and I hope that you like this chapter. I've never known reviewers who are so consistent and lovely.**

**Next chapter MIGHT be up tomorrow. I'm ill, so yeah!**


	19. Useless Facts By Millie Fournier

Leaving Beorn's house was quick, yet sufficient. It was nothing like leaving Rivendell, in which we had stuffed our bags full of our things and sneaked away in the early hours of the morning. No, leaving Beorn's house was less...rushed.

We'd packed our bags with skins of water and food. Beorn had even given me a pair of gloves and a new cloak. I didn't bother to ask him _why_ he had a small cloak, rather than a massive one to fit his large form - I was too happy to finally have something warm on me.

'Do you need some help getting up there, lass?' questioned Bofur, appearing by my side. I had been carefully pulling myself up onto the pony, but it had not been going well. The rest of the company were attaching their bags and such to their ponies saddles, while Gandalf, Thorin and Bilbo crowded around Beorn. I remember wondering whether I would see the guy again.

I cast Bofur a grumpy look. 'Yes, please,' I had grumbled.

The taller Dwarf grinned. 'Look, _come_ 'ere. Stand on my hands and I'll lift you right up onto the pony - lass, I won't drop you'. After me nearly falling over about five times, we finally managed to prop me rather ungracefully onto the back of the pony. Bofur tilted his hat to me at my thank you, his shoulders shaking with laughter as he turned away.

Ten minutes later we were all ready to go. Beorn's last warnings to us were to not take the main-forest road, and Gandalf bowed his head at his warnings, as the rest of the Dwarves thanked him kindly, vowing that they were forever in his debt. I'd just given a spasm of a wave, trying not to fall from my ponies back.

I'd held the reigns rather uneasily, scared that I would topple over at any trot that the bloody thing took. The rest of the Dwarves quite happily drank from their water and chatted among themselves.

'Ah,' said Gandalf. 'I have found the warning that Beorn told us about, Thorin - the one to warn those that he is no 'Orc-friend', it would seem'. I'd immediately been interested, obviously. Beorn had told me about such a warning, and considering that we were now passing his hedges and fences, I had supposed that it was a note of some sort, stuck onto the wood.

It wasn't.

'_Lovely_,' remarked Bilbo as he past along the Orc head, nailed rather messily onto the fence of Beorn's land. My mouth fell open in horror as the rest of the Dwarves _admired _Beorn's work.

My eyes found the grass beneath my pony instead, and my fingers dug into her mane.

* * *

The mountains were dark and foreboding to our left, but it was not nearly as bad as the forest that was drawing closer in the distance. As soon as we had left the safety of Beorn's grassy lands, Thorin had ordered that we break into a faster trot. 'The Orcs and their Wargs will not be far behind,' he had said, and so we sped up.

I was well aware of Kili and Fili trotting just behind me, in case you're wondering. I hadn't spoken to him, not since we had left. We were both distracted by the journey ahead, the dangers that lay in the forest. Yet, I had wondered what he would have said to me, what would have happened if I had moved forward too. What would have happened if bloody _Bombur _hadn't decided to call for us.

That night, we camped up against some trees, munching on the food that was given to us by Beorn and discussing when we would reach the forest of Mirkwood. 'The land is beginning to slope, and the birds are singing less,' said Gandalf. 'Soon, we will find ourselves at the forest gate'. He stared into the fire that we had made, chewing on his dried fruit.

But then Kili looked at me, and I looked back. He moved, as if to stand, but Dwalin was in front of me before I could tell whether Kili was coming for me, or to get more food. 'Time to practice,' said the balding Dwarf, nodding once at Snowthorn.

While the others lounged, ate and sang tales, I put all of my efforts into learning anything that could save my life, if we ever did get into battle again. Considering that the Pale Orc still hunted us, the idea seemed very likely.

* * *

We started before dawn the next day, and it was only when I awoke (I had fallen asleep before the rest) that I realized Kili and Fili had found their places beside me in sleep. My hand found Kili's hair, and I tugged lightly on it until he awoke. In the dim blue light of morning, I saw him look at me, before I said,

'Early start today, pookie'.

I still don't know _what _possessed me to call him 'pookie', so please, don't ask.

Now that Gandalf had mentioned it, as we rode along I _did_ notice that the trees around us were much quieter. There were no birds, no crickets, no sound of rivers - none of the sounds that I had forced myself to grow used to. The sounds that I had found comfort in.

'Well, isn't this place just all sunshine and daises?' I piped up, as the talking of the Dwarves had retreated into the odd passing comment and a pointed finger in the direction that we headed in.

Ori just shook his head and scoffed out a laugh.

I sunk forward onto my ponies (Francis, I had named her) back, tilting my head to the side to watch Kili and Fili, who passed pieces of bread between the two of them. I had smiled at that, my fingers twirling within Francis' mane. Wherever Fili went, Kili went - and so it went the other way around. I'd always envy their friendship with one another, as I'd always wanted a brother or a sister.

My mum, in her thick French accent, had said, 'You were a bloody 'nough, Alexandria'.

Charming woman, really.

I must have dozed off, because next thing I had been shaken upright my Kili, who nodded to the tree line before us. 'Well, here is Mirkwood!' said Gandalf, who stopped his horse in front of the great, gnarled and twisted trees. The leaves of the trees were dark, long and sticky looking, and the grass on the brink of the forest was yellowing and brittle. 'The greatest of the forests of the Northern world!'

'I'd hate to see what the others look like,' I had muttered, stretching sideways to get a better look. Kili steadied me when I almost fell from the horse, though his eyes were fixed on the forest in front of us. He looked as uneasy as I had felt.

'Dismount,' said Thorin. 'We must send our ponies back now, the rest of the way will be on foot'. He jumped from his own pony, as did the others.

I was, to put it lightly, horrified. But I quickly hopped off of Francis with the help of Fili, and stroked the ponies nose while getting my bag from the saddle. 'Bye, Francis'.

'You named your pony Francis?' asked Fili, hitching his pack onto his back. '_Francis?'_

I chose to ignore him and waved at the ponies as they trotted away from our grumbling gathering. 'Do not grumble and groan,' said Gandalf, leaning on his staff. 'Beorn has been watching us, as Bilbo noticed last night. He's been making sure that we send his ponies safely back once we reached the eaves of Mirkwood and so we have, and so we keep a friend'.

Dori and Nori looked highly affronted at the idea of being spied on, while Thorin just said, quite flatly, 'Yes, we have sent them back. Now, let's go _forward-' _He cut himself off short, looking unblinkingly at Gandalf. 'You have not sent back your horse'.

It had been true. Gandalf's own horse huffed behind him.

'I am not sending my horse back, Master Dwarf, because I am not joining you the rest of the way. I promised that I would see you past Beorn's house, and so I have,' replied Gandalf. 'I shall ride my horse back the way we came'.

'You're leaving_? Now?' _I'd yelped.

'I have some pressing business to attend to in the south, Millie. We may meet again when this is over, and then we may not. I think you will all do quite well with Bilbo in your company, because apparently the Hobbit has more sense and courage than the lot of you may think'. Bilbo had blushed quite obviously at that and shifted from left to right.

The idea of Gandalf leaving for good had me quite nervous, I guess. I mean, he had been the first one I saw when I had come to Middle Earth and had been the one to help me meet the Dwarves and join the company. Without him, it suddenly felt like I didn't quite _belong, _like I was just a guest of Gandalf's.

'Thorin,' said Gandalf. 'Remember that the Wood Elves reside in the forest of Mirkwood - King Thranduil will not take kindly to strangers finding his people and causing bother. He has grown wary with the dangers of Mirkwood growing, and very suspicious'.

Thorin practically sneered at Gandalf. 'I would not dare to approach that Elf's kin, do not _fret, _Gandalf'. Gloin huffed in agreement, looking quite angry and annoyed at the mere mention of the Elves. I was pretty sure that Thranduil had been the one to ditch Thorin and Co. when Smaug had attacked. In case you're wondering, he _had_ been. Dick move, really.

'I can only hope that you will seek help from those around you when you truly need it, Thorin,' said Gandalf, bowing his head.

Thorin just nodded and reached up to clasp Gandalf's shoulder tightly, thanking him for what he had done so far for us. After many good-byes, I had moved forward to wrap my arms around Gandalf's waist, while the others peered past the big trees. 'Thank you,' I'd whispered. I think he understood, because he nodded and brought me to eye-level and said,

'I hope you find what you were brought here for, Millie'.

I patted his arm awkwardly. 'Same here, Gandizzle. Hope everything goes well down south'. I had closed my eyes in silent horror and pulled away from him. 'Forget I ever said that, my God'.

He said his goodbyes to Bilbo, then. He spoke in low voices with the Hobbit, clasping his shoulder and watching as the Hobbit looked up at the Wizard, listening quite intently. I don't know what they had said to one another, and I still don't.

He had left not long after, and Thorin had wasted no time in pushing us all forward into the forest. The moment we past the tree line, the air was denser, warmer, and smelt of rotting egg. I gagged and brought a hand to my mouth, announcing a _very _useful,

'Well that just _smells'._

'Indeed it does,' said Bofur. 'Might as well get used to it though,' he huffed.

I had just pulled a very sad and pitiful face.

The inside of the forest showed many trees that were sticky with some unknown substance and that twisted around one another, the bark all spirally and old and _rotting. _The ground was barely even dirt, but more mushrooms and twigs and tree roots. There wasn't any sky, and after an hour of walking in a straight line along the pathway, I'd wondered if it was night time already.

Fili had just said a bitter, 'It's probably only just past midday'.

We all walked in a straight line, and I had found myself between Fili and Kili, the only two who would answer my questions without snapping at me. It seemed that everyone had grown tired of the forest very quickly. 'Can you hear that?' I'd muttered, referring to the constant scuttling and bashing of bushes that sounded outside of the path.

Kili pushed me forward more, his voice close to my ear. '_That _is why we shouldn't stray from the path'.

Sometimes we would see a break through of sunlight in the above canopy, but it would quickly be blocked out by a wandering black squirrel, an animal that we had seen often, but Kili hadn't yet managed to arrow down.

The first night of camping had been the worst. We had rested against two gnarled and wide trees and a build up of rock that the roots twisted into, to the side of the pathway, shuffling against the ground to find some source of comfort.

I saw Thorin and Bilbo conversing together and chose not to bother them until they were quite finished. When they were, I finally voiced up my request, and said, 'I'll go on first watch tonight'. The others simply stared, stopping what they were doing. 'Don't look at me like _that. _I'm sure I can stay awake and kick one of you if I _do_ see anything,' I had replied with snark.

'If you fall asleep, you'll be putting all of us in danger,' warned Thorin.

I'd bristled, and Bilbo had looked at Thorin in mild horror. 'Well it's a good thing that I won't be falling asleep then, _isn't_ it?' I'd bit back. Thorin just raised his eyebrows and went about taking a small sip from his skin.

We were running low on water, on top of everything else.

_The nerve of him! I didn't have to offer up to do _anything. _Okay, I did. I've not done _one _watch while I've been with them. I've been pretty lazy, actually. I don't think I've cooked once either. I _did _gather wood that one time, though. _

'There's a snake over there,' said Ori nervously. 'Do you think they're poisonous in these parts?'

Balin leaned forward. 'I wouldn't risk it. Kili, kick it away'.

It was only then that I had realized what they were talking about, and both Bilbo and I had shuffled back slightly, myself a lot paler. 'I don't like snakes,' I had muttered, quite unhelpfully. I watched as Kili did as he was told, and the slithery _thing _went hissing off in the other direction. Fili patted my shoulder, while Kili plopped down beside my feet.

'Everything in this place is probably poisonous,' he grumbled quietly to Fili, who just tilted his head in agreement.

_Should probably talk to him about what happened, shouldn't I?_

I gave his back a little poke with my boot, but Dwalin gave a gruff snap of, 'Kili - the tree above us!' And heck, Kili was drawing his bow and arrow so quickly that I had jumped back in surprise. I'd practically _screamed _when he'd jerked, and a black squirrel came falling down right in front of me, arrow stuck in its eye. 'Yes!' Dwalin cheered, giving a quick clap of his hands.

Kili yanked the arrow from the squirrels head, ignoring my very obvious gag of disgust. 'Weren't we just talking about how everything in this place is probably, you know, _deadly?'_

'Beorn said nothing about the meat being off,' said Bilbo to me, kicking his large and hairy feet out in front of him. 'Should we try a taste?' he'd asked. I'd remembered then about what Beorn had said to me, about Bilbo hiding something. The heck could he be hiding?

_'I'm_ not having any'. Ori, Nori and Bifur agreed with me. Kili just looked up at and pulled a knife from his person, smirking lightly, dark eyes bright.

'Good. More for the rest of us then,' he said. 'Fili, go start a fire, will you?' And then, without warning, he began skinning the squirrel right in front of me. I'd never seen anything skinned before, and it was the most repulsive thing I had ever seen. All the peeling and - ugh, _no_.

'Give me some _warning,' _I'd moaned, sliding from my place against the tree trunk, and instead moving toward the rest of the group. Thorin sat with his sword in his hand, while Dwalin considered the dried fruit before him, before putting it away. Everyone had been quite quiet, and the only other sound was of Fili making a small fire, and Kili skinning the dead animal.

The ground was quite uneven, considering that we had all been perched on that formation of rock. As well as that, there'd been some blue, sticky stuff sliding down the roots of the tree at my feet.

'Did you know that the most painful thing that a being can go through is being burned alive?' I'd asked, placing my hands on my hips and wobbling to gain balance. Fili paused in making the fire, looking up at me with a disbelieving look on his face. 'Giving birth is the _second_ most painful'.

There was a very apparent and _loud_ silence.

'I don't really know why I thought you guys should know that'.

And then I had remembered that Thorin's whole Kingdom had been attacked by a giant _fire breathing_ dragon, and things just grew even _more_ awkward. I'd looked at him, mouth a little open and had moaned out an, 'Ah, _shit. _That was probably a _little_ insensitive'.

Balin just clapped a hand across his forehead, while Thorin stared blandly back at me. Bombur had the bravery to let out a large guffaw, which only resulted in Bofur snorting quite loudly. Kili had to turn away completely and Fili continued to stare with a mix of horror and amusement. Gloin and Oin were looking on in mild interest.

'I've got other useless facts!' I rushed quickly and nervously. 'Did you know that a person will usually laugh thirteen times a day?' Fili just raised his hands in utter confusion as to _why_ I was still talking. I had looked back at Thorin, the frowning and _moody_ looking Thorin. 'Well, that's the statistic for _most _people anyway'. He didn't even _blink._

'Lass!' burst out Bofur. 'Just _stop _talking!'

I couldn't _stop. _I just don't _stop _when things get awkward, I'll always try and deter the awkwardness as much as I can. 'Ants stretch when they wake up,' I supplied weakly.

Silence.

'So how's that_ squirrel _coming along, Kili?' burst out Bilbo, sitting on the edge of the rock in front of me, his legs placed neatly in front of him. Bifur gave a little start at the Hobbit's sudden outburst, as he sat beside Bilbo. I just huffed and fell rather ungracefully onto my butt, my face burning.

While they prepared the squirrel and cooked it, Bombur came and sat beside me. In his silence, I found a kind smile and a rather amusing roll onto his back. He clasped his hands over his stomach and looked up at me.

'Tough crowd, huh?' I'd muttered, rubbing my arms. Dwalin had me training hard, when we _could _train.

He just _smiled._

In the end, I _had _to let out a small snort of laughter. 'Thanks, Bombur,' I'd chuckled, realizing that the puff of his cherry red cheeks and the stretch of his lips had been for my benefit. 'I don't _mean _to come out with these things'.

'I know,' he'd huffed, kicking out his legs to gain some comfort. 'How we're going to be able to sleep on this rock, I'll never know,' he muttered, unhelpfully slapping the rock, as if to flatten it out.

He was silenced by a sudden, sharp call that echoed throughout the creaking forest. The very trees seemed to still with the sounds.

'Orc?' said Kili, who crouched beside his brother, cooking the meat. 'It didn't sound like an Orc'. _Well then, why _say _it?_

Thorin looked up slowly, sword in hand from studying it. 'A creature of the forest that I cannot name,' he said quietly, sharing a troubled look with Balin. 'We should not light the fire for much longer. Cook the meat and then we shall put it our for the night'.

Kili and Fili cooked the meat as quickly as they could, grimacing lightly at the silvery look of it. Ori, Nori, Bifur and I looked on as small lumps of the meat was handed out to the company, as we huddled together closely upon the uneven rock. The moment Bombur took a large mouthful, he quickly spat it back out rather messily and loudly.

'Oh - _no, _dude!' I yelped, scrambling to get away from the retching, ginger man.

Then the rest of them began coughing and spluttering. Kili had to whack Fili on the back, while I grabbed the front of Bombur's shirt and yanked him forward off of his back. 'I _told _you!' I reminded them. 'Was it that _bad?'_

'_Orc_ would have tasted finer,' wheezed Bofur, throwing away his share of the meat.

'_Goblin_,' replied Dori.

I bit back a smile upon seeing Ori and Nori cackling, aimed only at their brother. 'You alright?' I'd asked Bombur, who'd just nodded sourly. 'Well that was fun!' I said, plopping back down onto my bum.

Bilbo just looked sadly back at me, upset about the loss of seemingly good food.

We settled back down after that, each of us looking around the forest and murmuring of the dankness of it - the wetness, the stickiness, the _ugliness._ It was dark now too, seeing as the fire had been put out. Near _black_. 'I can understand why they changed the name of it to _Mirk_wood,' observed Dwalin.

After a short time, each of the Dwarves settled into sleep. I'd moved away from the snoring Bombur and sat myself carefully between many of the Dwarves, squishing beside Fili and Kili. Fili had groaned in his sleep, throwing an arm over my foot. Kili cracked open an eye, patted my knee and then retreated back into his sleep.

The next sentence is going to make me sound like such a creeper, but I was told that I was to be on watch for the next two hours, until Bilbo took over, so I was _bored_. But, you know, I kind of...watched Kili sleep. Only a little, mind you. Everyone else had fallen asleep, so what else is a girl to do but watch, quite possibly, one of the prettiest Dwarves she had seen sleep?

I had remembered what Fili had told me, about Kili being one of the lesser 'attractive' Dwarves among the people in the Blue Mountains. I guess that to people outside of the Dwarves race, he was handsome. Short, but handsome. But to Dwarves themselves...he wasn't quite so hairy, he was leaner, he didn't have a funky beard, nor braids. I didn't mind that, though. I'd quite liked his prettiness.

Anyway, even if he _had_ been covered in hair and had a belly the size of Bombur's, I would have liked him the same anyway. He was Kili - reckless, brave, charming, funny, _lovely _Kili.

I'd brushed a bit of his hair straight then, and it was possibly one of the few _movie-like _things that I had done in my lifetime. Well, that, and actually be sucked _into a _movie.

I'd sat alone for a while that night, listening to the horrible sounds of Mirkwood, feeling small as I glared out at the trees and the small bit of what lay beyond. It had felt like a prison, and I couldn't understand how Elves lived here willingly. It was so _dark. _

After two hours, I had thrown a small rock at Bilbo's curly head and shared a tired look with him. He had sat upright, dangling his legs out in front of him and taking on the role of the nights second watchman. 'Goodnight,' he had murmured to me, and I had replied with something the same.

Curling up into a very uncomfortable position, I'd found solace and comfort in Kili's warmth, away from the darkness of Mirkwood, away from the Dwarves that were pressing in at every corner.

And his hand found mine.

* * *

**Okay, I know you're all gonna be like 'BUT THEY DIDN'T TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE BLOODY BOMBUR CAME ALONG!' ****But that's coming, I promise. I just wanted to introduce Mirkwood, seeing as it's such a big part of the journey, as well as get the other Dwarves in there a bit, _as well as _some of Millie's inner dialogue about the whole thing.**

**I'm excited for the next chapter! People who have read the books will know what is coming!**

**I hope you liked my description of Mirkwood. A lot of the inspiration came from the stills that have been released for _The Desolation of Smaug. _Anyway, yeah, I hope you like the pace of things, seeing as the book rushes quite a lot of what happens. **

**Thank you so much for the reviews, guys. I mean, shit, over 700 reviews? I can't even begin to comprehend it. Thank you, thank you so much. You brighten my day more than I can say. You're all beautiful and lovely.**


	20. Bombur Overboard

It was two nights later that we had began to get wary about the food disappearing and the water running low. That amount of food shared between five people would have been fine, or maybe if we could have hunted - but there had been more than five people, and we couldn't hunt. On top of that, the nights had been getting chillier the more than we moved into the forest. We didn't light fires though, not with the creatures that wandered through the vines.

'Do you hear that?' asked Dwalin from the front of the company. Him stopping resulted in everyone else stopping, including Thorin. He'd shared a long look with the King, before saying, 'A river'.

'Aye,' said Gloin. 'I hear it. Up ahead?'

The river had only been a short distance walk from where we had stumbled along. It was fast moving, and was nearly black with the gloom of the place. I remembered Beorn's words of dark waters being both dangerous to drink and to touch.

'Do we have to cross it?' I'd asked, stepping forward to peer at the rush below.

Thorin stood on the brink of the river, glaring down at it. 'We will have to, if we want to get to the other side,' he mused. _Right. Duh. '_Is there no way to pass it that anyone can see?'

There was only a short pause, and then Bilbo said, 'Well, there's a boat. Just there, on the far bank'. The Hobbit waved a finger to the shadows of the river where, sure enough, there was a small, wooden boat. 'I think if we threw some rope at it, we could drag it to this side of the river. It looks about twelve yards, or so'.

'Fili,' said Thorin, unraveling a length of rope from his pack. 'Do as Bilbo said - the Hobbit's eyes are far sharper than ours'.

Now, back in Year 10 (back when we were forced to take part in things such as school Sports Day. Ew) I'd been raffled into doing the javelin sport, the one that no one else had wanted to do. Surprisingly, I'd actually been quite good at it, and had taken part in about ten meetings at the Javelin Club before quitting out of pure boredom, and the fact that I had been losing opportunities to laze around after school.

But still, I'd been _good _at it.

'I'll do it,' I'd voiced up, cutting over the conversation of where to aim the rope and what was on the other side of the river. 'I'm quite good at javelin, won a round of it at my school Sports Day-' I cut myself off. 'I can throw well,' I deadpanned simply.

Thorin looked uneasily at me. I looked seriously back at him until my face crumpled into an offended look.

'Plus, I'm about seventy years younger than Fili, so I've got that on my side too'.

In the end, they all allowed me to have a go at throwing the rope. Fili looked quite entertained at the notion of me doing anything athletic, while Dori whispered to Nori, 'Two silver pennies that she misses entirely'.

'I can _hear _you,' I'd stressed, stepping forward and running the rope through my grasp. They'd attached a hook to the end of it, and the idea was to get it on the grip of the wooden boat. I'd stared for a moment, determined not to make a _complete _idiot out of myself. With one swift throw, I'd sent the rope and hook flying for the boat.

With a great splash, it'd missed.

'_Almost,' _said Bilbo, leaning round on his hands and knees to spy out the boat. 'A little further to the right, and forward some more'.

I did as he asked but, once again, I missed. I'd felt my cheeks heat up with the idea of proving them right and giving the rope back to Fili, but then Kili had stepped closer to me, his finger running against the side of my elbow.

And, just like in those tacky films about she-warrior women, I'd pulled it back, grabbed the hook and tossed the rope once again (using so much force that I'd nearly hurled myself into the river) and there was a _thunk _as the hook found the edge of the boat.

'Oh, I actually _did_ it'.

'Not bad, lass!'

'Pull on it,' said Thorin, crouching. 'But not hard enough to detach the hook from the boat,' he reasoned. I pulled on it as gently as I could, but this only resulted in nothing happening. 'Harder,' insisted Thorin.

It took every ounce of willpower I had within me not to laugh.

Once again, I pulled and nothing happened. 'I think it's tied up or something,' I groaned. Kili took the rope from me and I gave it willingly, glad to not have the responsibility any more. Next, Oin and Gloin came to help out. All three tugged as hard as they could, but this only resulted in them falling over and me letting out a sharp cackle.

'Oh, that was mean, I'm sorry,' I rushed, going to help them up.

Of course, I'd forgotten about the fact that the rope was still loose and that the boat had suddenly come free of whatever was holding onto it. Bilbo scrambled for it, his large feet slipping on the ground as he tried to keep his hold on the boat that was now being yanked along by the current. 'Well, _help!' _he called to the group of very slow Dwarves. Myself included.

Balin, in the end, managed to help Bilbo keep the pull of the rope at bay. 'It _was_ tied up,' he declared. 'That was a good pull, lads. An equally good set of throws too, Millie'.

I'd smiled quite proudly and pointedly at that.

'Myself, Bilbo, Balin and Millie will be the first to cross,' said Thorin, looking down at the deathtrap of a boat. The thing looked like it was _rotting. _'Fili, Kili - grab some branches large enough to act as ores'.

The two did as they were told, and soon enough I was being helped into the boat by Bilbo. On the journey so far, the Hobbit had already grown much braver than I had, which is probably very obvious to you all. It was also very obvious as we stepped carefully against the bank and onto the boat.

'If I fall and die because of a bloody river - after _everything - _I'm gonna be so annoyed,' I moaned, thankful for the Hobbits hand clasped safely in mine. With a great, dangerous jump, I had found myself being pushed into the rickety boat, Bilbo falling in after me.

'Bilbo, Millie?'

'We're fine!' called Bilbo, a little breathlessly. '_That _was dangerous,' he said, a little but too sassily for my liking.

'I _fell,' _I lied, noticing how he checked his person quite quickly, his pocket especially. I had decided against saying anything at that moment, but don't worry, I hadn't forgotten.

Next, Thorin and Balin came into the boat. Truth be told, it was all a little awkward seeing as the boat was quite small. This only resulted in having my knees pressed tightly up against Thorin's, who sat in front of me. He passed a branch to Bilbo and they both pushed us out into the river, using the branches to guide us (rather uneasily) to the opposite bank.

The whole ride was horrible, let me tell you. We kept losing our way, and every time I opened my eyes I was met with the rushing, black water and Thorin's grunts of impatience.

After us, came Ori, Nori, Bifur and Bofur. Then, after much kerfuffle (Bombur didn't like the idea of being last, and had to have the fewest people on his boat due to the side of him) came Bombur and Dwalin.

Lastly, once the boat was pushed up against the opposite bank, we hooked it up again and threw the rope to Fili, who caught it. It was then pulled back, and Fili, Kili, Oin and Gloin made their way across with 'oars' of their own.

'Do you hear that?' asked Bilbo, just as the four on the boat pushed themselves up against our own bank. The Dwarves drew their weapons (minus the ones who were climbing out of the boat), as did Bilbo. They glared out into the winding trees and it was only then that I realized I had a weapon of my own. Just as I was about to draw Snowthorn, something came hurtling out of the forests twisting branches.

All that I managed to get a glimpse of were the antlers, before something was behind me and, quite suddenly, my back hit the trunk of a tree that I had been flung into by a fast grip at the back of my cloak.

Kili hurtled himself ahead with Thorin and Balin, all swords drawn to hack at the wild, obviously troubled deer. It was Kili who drew the arrow, and Fili who dug his sword straight into the beats stomach.

'What a _shot-'_

It had been Kili to pull me away from the deer's charge, though you probably guessed that. He who had scrambled up the river bank before Fili, Oin or Gloin had the chance to even draw their swords.

It always _was _Kili though, wasn't it?

I had pushed myself from the tree, breaking through the mess of heaving and rejoicing Dwarves, grabbed Kili's jacket and yanked him back, his bow still in hand. His dark eyes were on me in a second, but they saw what I was doing, what I had _planned _to do. In the mess of Dwarves and Hobbit, his hand was grasping my waist, and I had said, 'Quit saving me, you-'

'Bombur's fallen in!'

Bloody Bombur.

It had seemed that in the chaos of the charging deer, Bombur had taken a swift and clumsy tumble into the dark, swirling water beneath us. The Dwarf's head and arms splashed madly above the inky looking depths, his great mouth opening and closing like a mad fish.

'He's drowning - throw him a branch and pull him in!'

'Oh my God!' I'd yelped, dancing from foot to foot at the edge of the river. 'Bombur overboard!'

Kili was one of the few who stretched out a branch to the obviously struggling Bombur, who grasped onto it quickly, and it then took six of the Dwarves, plus Bilbo, to pull the heavy man back to the safety of the river bank. All of us had to pull his sleepy, wet, lazy body up the side and onto the even ground. The moment he hit the bank, he'd collapsed.

'He's _asleep!'_

Perfect time for a slow clap and a 'no, _really?'_

'The water here makes you drowsy, doesn't it? _Drowsy and forgetful, _that's what Beorn said,' Bofur replied, crouching beside the snoring lump that was his brother. 'You great _dope,' _he muttered, giving Bombur's red cheek a swift pat. He continued to snore softly.

I exchanged an uneasy glance with Kili, who had his hands pressed against his knees and was breathing hard. It _had _been a rush, to be fair. We couldn't have risked waiting another second for Bombur to be swept away with the current.

'Do we risk feasting on the deer?' asked Dwalin, giving the still, large beast a prod with his dirty boot.

Thorin angrily shoved his sword back into his scabbard. 'No. It was mad, driven to charging at anything it saw with some forest disease. It's whole body may be addled with it'. I'd sidestepped as nonchalantly as I could away from the deer.

'What are we going to do about Bombur?' Fili had inquired, rounding the deer to nod at the snoozing Dwarf - the Dwarf who I'd envied, honestly. He'd slept with a smile on his pudgy face, and his sword cradled close to his chest. 'Do we carry him until he wakes up?'

'He shouldn't sleep for so long,' said Thorin, taking his gaze away from Bombur and instead began looking about at our surroundings. 'Come, we will camp upon the edge of the path and eat the last of our food, and in the morning will we walk once again. It is growing dark'.

We did as we were told, though there weren't any complaints. Bombur was half dragged and half carried along with us, and we set up camp just off the path, between two thick and twisting trees. Upon dropping Bombur to the ground, little, fast things scuttled into holes beneath the tree. Most of us pretended not to notice.

Although no one said anything about it, it was obvious what had happened between Kili and I, after the deer had attacked and before Bombur had fallen into the river. I had thanked _God _that no one said anything about it. That is, until Kili leaned over quietly to me, while everyone else scraped up the last crumbs of food and spoke of how far the forest stretched.

'I suppose that you were quite grateful for me saving you earlier,' he commented lightly, crossing his legs and tipping his head back to take the last scraps of bread. 'Again,' he added, cheekily.

Despite the gloom and the darkness and coldness that was seeping into the forest, I had smiled down at my dried fruit. 'You're an arrogant Dwarf, you know that?'

We'd looked at each other out of the corners of our gazes, lips tugged back in knowing, near shy smiles. 'One of the _many_ things that you admire about me,' he'd said, straightening his back and brushing away the crumbs with hands. He peered at me through the curtain of his brown hair, white teeth on show.

I paused and tilted my head sideways, slowly. 'I don't know what you mean-_' _My smile only grew bigger at his amused, affronted look.

I didn't _want _to be alone in the depths and darkness of Mirkwood. Despite the fact that I was surrounded by others, I think that without Kili or Fili I would have felt out of place, especially with the absence of Gandalf. For then, I had him, I had _Kili_. That was enough.

'Dori, take first watch. Then Fili'.

That nights sleep was different with Kili. Sure, we'd cuddled, we'd held hands before. But there something in the way that his hand crept up my arm and my foot found its way between his. There was something known, something of an embrace stuck between a desperate need for warmth, for light in the gloom of twisting trees and scuttling feet.

'Will you two stop _fidgeting_?' muttered Fili, kicking Kili's shin. 'I've gotta be up in an hour for first watch'.

The next morning, we woke up to Bombur's moans of, 'Why did I _have _to wake up? I was having such _good _dreams of food, ale, wine-' He was quickly shut up by the rest of us, stating that we did _not _want to know about the dreams that he'd had, not when we had no food left ourselves, and hardly any water. Thorin's retorts were especially moody and angry, 'Focus on the present, Bombur. Not on your dreams inspired by falling into a poisoned river'.

And so, we walked.

Later that day, I was forced to tighten my belt around my waist due to the weight that I had lost since my time in Middle Earth. I would have gladly piled it all back on with a family sized portion of _Dominoes _pizza.

'I am tired-' Bombur had moaned, as we continued through the darkening forest. He was cut off quite promptly by Bofur's great whack to his shoulder. This great whack only sent the sleepy and weak Bombur tumbling to the ground. As per-usual, it was Kili and I who were forced to hide our great guffaws.

Thorin and Dwalin turned around angrily, ready to give Bombur a mighty telling off (admittedly, he was being a little childish. Even _I _wouldn't have done something like this, but I still guess that it was the black water of the river making him all _odd) _but, at that moment, Balin's curious and kind voice said,

'Did you see that? There's a light in the forest, some way off-' He turned, at the head of the line with Thorin and Dwalin. 'Did no one see it?'

I was about to do a turning motion with my finger, beside my head ('_Someones _letting the isolation get to them') but as we had all looked into to darkness of the gnarled trees of Mirkwood, I _had _seen something. It was kind of like a..._t__winkle, _I guess. Red and white, like little candles that came and then went out.

'I saw it,' I'd announced.

'As did I,' said Kili, quite importantly. He brushed off my pointed look with a step forward. Soon, the whole company announced that they could see the twinkles, but I had suddenly become more interested in Bilbo's hand, which fiddled with something in his pocket, quite nervously. 'Should we go forward?'

'Yes,' decided Thorin. 'We should'. With that, he was half jogging forward, pushing the branches out of the way and pressing his palms against the stickiness of the tree trunks. Ahead, on the path, the lights had become clearer as we followed Thorin. Heck, I'd just wished that Gandalf was still with us. As we bumbled through the forest, Bombur began making replies of,

'If we _don't _have a feast soon, Dori, then we will die anyway, won't we?'

'_Unless_ we resort to cannibalism,' I piped up, moving out of the way of a branch that Fili had not held back for me. It had flung directly at my face, though I had not seen it with the lacking of light. 'I give you all permission to eat my body if I am the first to die from starvation'. Even Thorin slowed up a little then, and Bilbo looked about ready to bolt in the other direction. I rolled my eyes, tripping on a tree root. 'I was _joking'._

'Sh!' hissed Thorin, as he and Dwalin fell into a crouch. Kili and Fili were soon following suite, finding their places beside their Uncle. We had all then crouched just off the path, behind some bushes and trees. 'Torches have been lit, just off the track'.

I'd always known Thorin to be reasonably level headed, and to think before he did anything stupid. But, upon whispering out a growl of, '..._Elves', _he had abandoned any sense of rationality and pushed out of his crouch and forward, onto the flatter ground where the trees were sparse. And, before the torches were blown out and we were thrown into darkness, I _had _seen the Elves. They were tall, wore blue and had barely even _looked _at Thorin as he fell into their presence.

The moment darkness had enveloped us, I had been half way standing to start after Thorin, just as Bilbo had. These two facts combined (and the fact that I am, as you know, a total klutz) had me tripping rather ungainly after Thorin and over who I presumed was Dwalin, falling straight on top of the gruff and tough Dwarf.

'What in _Durin's_-?'

'It's dark!' I'd announced, alarmed, thinking that this was _just_ the right thing to say.

'Where did Thorin go? And Bilbo - he ran after him!'

_'Bilbo?'_

'Where are the Elves?'

'_Thorin_?'

I'd scrambled awkwardly off of Dwalin, though this only resulted in me landing into the writhing and grumbling pile of Dwarves. After a moment of startled ponderings and complaining, Dwalin shouted roughly to us all, telling us all, quite simply, to, 'shut our bleedin' mouths'.

Still, we could not see and it was affecting all of us quite badly. That, and the fact that Thorin's and Bilbo's voices were not with us. We soon discovered that they were the only two missing, and that-

No, that was all that we had discovered. I suppose I'm getting ahead of myself. It's just...the next part of my story. Ugh.

The fear of being so unaware of my surroundings, as well as the fear of not knowing what had happened to my friends caused my paranoia and my senses to go on red alert. 'Beorn said we shouldn't stray from the path, didn't he?' I said quietly. For some reason, I'd felt like we should whisper, like we would disturb anything in the forest - like we already _had._

There was a pause in which they clambered to their feet around me. We were completely leaderless - _lost_. 'Aye,' said Bofur. 'And that is exactly what we have done'.

'We'll never find it in this dark. I can't see my own nose!' declared Ori.

I shushed him, too scared to make too much noise. 'We _need _to find it,' I'd urged them. 'It was this way - er, _left. _Oh, bugger, one of you could be facing another way and think that I mean _your _left-'

'Lass,' soothed Balin.

'Sorry,' I had whispered.

It was then that I had started to think about the Blair Witch Project, a film that had, for some odd reason, scared the heck out of me. Mirkwood was scary, it was full of monsters, Elves who had left us, taken Thorin and maybe even Bilbo, the Hobbit who had gone after the King. The Hobbit who may be out there now, lost and alone.

I'd closed my eyes and breathed in deeply.

_You're Millie Fournier. Grow a pair._

'Right,' I said. 'Er, follow my voice'. I took three steps back, my hands at my back in case I backed into anything. 'You guys know which way my voice is? Someone grab Oin and drag him along. You got him? _This _left,' I explained, as footsteps approached me against the twig strewn ground. 'Er, Dwalin-' I grabbed onto where I thought the Dwarf was. 'It's me, you take the lead. I'll be useless if I run into anything'.

The Dwarf took my hand from him and patted my shoulder awkwardly. With that, we walked almost painfully slowly, too wary of being separated from one another. It was only when a hand touched my hip and a voice whispered, 'It is me', that I realized how relieved I was to feel and to hear Kili.

I scooped his hand into mine, so relieved to feel his warmth and his- _him._

The whole world froze into a split second of horror when Fili said a quick and sharp, 'What is that sound?'

It only made it worse that we couldn't see what scuttled from the darkness with sounds of clicking, snipping and stepping. Kili's hand only grew tighter in mine as the whole company stopped and pressed against one another, swords being drawn and growls of warning toward this new attacker.

'Stay close to me,' Kili whispered into my ear, his lips brushing my skin, his hair against my shoulder. He let go of my hand and I felt the edge of his bow against my cheek, the string stretching as he strung an arrow. I had pulled out Snowthorn as the scuttling stopped and silence fell once again. The only sound was the heavy breathing of my friends and the shuffling of their feet.

_You _could _die. You really want to leave it like this?_

It was quiet, as I've said. All of the Dwarves will have heard my words, and perhaps it _wasn't_ the right time, who knows? But I _needed_ to tell him. After everything, after almost dying too many times to count, after him being there for me 24/7, after hiding it for _so _long, between Bombur's interruptions and my general awkwardness - it would have been stupid for me not to tell him, don't you think? Unrealistic to keep it for so long. And heck, I was a Dwarven Lady, gotta grab life by the balls, eh?

'Kili. I fancy you, quite a lot actually'.

And then all hell broke loose. The scuttling came back full force and something jabbed into my legs, knocking me sideways and onto my back. A creature ('Spiders!' shouted Dwalin) had then crawled over my waist (Millie?!' shouted Kili. 'Fili?!'), just as a sharp something dug into my calve, causing me yelp along with the alarmed shouts of the other Dwarves. As the world slipped into fog and sleepiness, I raised my arm (which took a lot of effort) and jabbed Snowthorn back into my scabbard, before my head lolled to the dirty ground.

And I slept.

* * *

**Oh, yes I did.**

**I always knew that Millie would tell him at a time where nothing could actually **_**happen **_**between them and it would be at a time where they couldn't do _anything _about it. I mean, think about what's coming next. They're not going to have a lot of time to talk about her rather unromantic announcement, are they? So, really, nothing's changed all that much. They'll be forced to keep on going until-**

**Yes, I am evil.**

**If you've read the book then you'll notice that I've changed things. I'll continue to do this, just so I'm not basically writing the book out. **

**The reviews, oh the reviews! Thank you so much for you kind words, my lovely readers. I love each and every one of you. **


	21. Incy Wincy

My dreams had been lazy yet real, like the kind when you fall in and out of sleep, yet you can still vaguely remember what you had been seeing once your eyes closed. I had dreamed of talking. People talking around me, yet I was very uncomfortable, and my head ached. At one point I think I opened my eyes to see strays of dark and light, but my arms wouldn't move, so I decided to catch some more sleep.

The second time I opened my eyes, it was to a great pinch at my thigh. 'Hmm, _yes_,' a high, spindly kind of voice had hissed. 'Lady Dwarf will be a _tasty _treat'.

It was then that I had remembered the attack in the dark, the spiders, the words to Kili, the scuttling over my body. My heart hammered as I realized that I could not move, and that the bloody spider could _talk_. Stupidly, I had wriggled pathetically and bit out a croaky, 'Touch me again and I'll throw you down a drain, _Incy Wincy'._

Well, this is what I had tried to say, anyway. Due to the fact that I was exhausted, cocooned in what I later found to be a spiders web _and _drugged up pretty badly from the spiders venom...well, you'll understand if my words came out a little muffled.

I was jabbed in the leg once again, and the misty world around me became a whole lot mistier.

* * *

There was no warning the next time my eyes flew open. My heart jumped with shock as cold air was thrown onto my face and the white, stringy, sticky substance was pulled away from me, and the faces of Kili and Bilbo were hovering above mine.

'There are _spiders,' _I had slurred. 'Are they _gone? _The little shits'. Now, I want you to imagine the drunken slur of someone, when they are a _mess._ You know, the kind when you can't believe someone could sound so _stupid _and _drunk - well, _that's what I had sounded like.

'They may come back,' rushed Bilbo, hands working at peeling away the web. Bombur's face popped up along the rest, and my eyes rolled lazily to find that his ginger hair was sticky with some white, stringy stuff.

'Can't move my legs,' I had explained (slurred).

Kili crouched low and took my shoulders, pulling me up. He was uneasy on his feet, and that fact had made me nervous. 'Bilbo led away the spiders that attacked us,' he had explained, looking very intently at me. 'This is their lair, and _that _is one of them'. He nodded over to a black lump a few feet away, underneath a canopy of web. My stomach heaved at the _size _of the thing - the thick legs, the open, blank eyes. And let me tell you, they _all _looked at us.

'Oh my-' I was leaning forward and hurling without much warning, I'm sad to say.

It was Kili who pulled back my hair, and Fili who said, 'It's expected, Kili. Ori and Bombur have already bent over and been sick once already'. Despite the burning in my throat as I threw away the sickness, the words made me feel better. I wasn't the only one that had reacted badly to the sickness of the spiders venom then.

Finally, I stood upright and pushed my hair away from my face. 'I feel better,' I assured Kili, who looked quite helpless. The others had, apparently, paid no mind to my little display of sickness, and had instead started talking about where the hell Thorin was, now that we had found Bilbo. '_Honestly,' _I assured Kili. 'Just don't normally get spiders _that _big where I'm from'.

I suddenly felt very unattractive, and my hands delved into my bag (which had been enclosed into the web with me, thank God) past the troll gold and straight for the trusty pack of gum. 'I was saving _you_ for situations like _this_,' I had muttered, popping a piece into my mouth. Three pieces left. How depressing.

I stumbled over to the rest of the group with Kili and Fili, both on either side of me. 'Did the Elves take Thorin?' I had asked, chewing around my gum. Words cannot describe how _nice _it had felt to have something solid and _tasty _to chew on.

Gloin looked up, and he was covered in web. 'Aye, Lassie. That is the best guess-'

There was the sound of hissing and scuttling, and from the twisting trees and blankets of spiders webs, there came the spiders themselves. Let me tell you, I had all but scrambled for Snowthorn, while the other Dwarves let out yells and pulled out their knives and swords. Bilbo headed the whole battle, waving around his own sword and jabbing the spiders here and there, causing them to flop down one by one.

And there were a _lot _of spiders in that clearing.

'Whoever said spiders are more scared of us than we are of them-' I swiped and tripped '-_Bullshit'._

I found myself back to back with Ori, who was flinging stones at the spiders, only pissing them off a whole lot more. I probably managed to only swipe Snowthorn at three spiders before Bilbo's voice came from the midst of the panic and the shouting,

'I am going to disappear. I'll draw away as many of the spiders as I can, you lot should try to find your way back to the elf-fires - to the left there-' He was cut off my a spider leaping at him. Both Ori and I had let out rather girlish squeals at this, and pressed closer to one another.

'_What?' _I had yelped, breathless and scared. 'Do you have an _invisiblity_ cloak? _Dude-'_

'No time to explain!' Bilbo yelled. 'Go! All of you!'

Balin was the one to shout out, 'Don't question him, do as he says, lads!' _Ahem. _With that, he gave a great roar, swept his beard aside and dove into the spilling pile of spiders, hacking and jabbing his way through the black, moving mess. My stomach churned, but I decided to ignore Bilbo's odd words and just go along with it. Try something new for once, you know?

I found Kili before he found me, but both our attentions were diverted once Bilbo did a silly little trip, brought his hands together and disappeared into thin air. For a moment, we were all quite stumped,

'...Did that _actually_ just happen?'

Quite suddenly, there were shouts further away, and they sounded just like Bilbo. He was yelling madly and loudly, insults thrown at the still hissing and jumping spiders, of whom faltered and bared their fangs at the Hobbit's voice.

My mind had still been whirring with the thoughts of Bilbo vanishing, but I couldn't pass up a chance to escape the horrid spiders. But then, just as I was turning with Snowthorn in my hand, one of the spiders wrapped two hard, hairy and _blegh _legs around my own leg. I yelled, kicking madly as the horrible thing opened the hole in its face and out popped the fangs, frothing and-

A thick sword was brought down upon its thick body and the spider gave a breathy little hiss, a spasm and then fell limp from my leg. I practically kissed Dwalin, but decided that maybe it would have been a little inappropriate. Dwalin had shouted something about catching up with the others, and that is what we did. They were turning out of the clearing as the spiders who had not run after Bilbo followed us, jumping from trees and snapping at our ankles.

Bofur yelled, 'Wherever Thorin is - I _envy _the blasted Dwarf!'

Bifur yelled, '_Gelmag_!' in Dwarven, waving his sword madly above his head and running to the head of the group, his feet pounding against the uneven ground.

'I don't think that the spiders want to make peace, Bifur!' huffed Bombur. I would have replied, but the thin air in the forest had made me breathless enough, the running only added to that point.

The spiders spun webs down to us, attempting to divert our way. They jumped, their legs spread for attack, to which we simply threw stones and twigs in their general direction. Despite the danger of the situation, something in me was quite glad that I had uttered the words, '_Kili. I fancy you, quite a lot actually', _when I had. Millie grew balls, and those balls gave Millie a clear conscience before being devoured by spiders the size of dogs.

Bilbo appeared suddenly in our pathway then, a messy haired and dirty mess. His sword was by his side, and his other hand was placing something quickly into the contents of his pocket. The company had stopped quickly, breathing hard, ready for attack. I found myself tripping tiredly backwards, intend upon finding my place beside Kili and Fili.

Bilbo did not stop, but urged us to keep running - quite rudely, actually. 'Well don't _stop. _I'll sting, you run-'

The rest was a blur of Bilbo darting around as we Dwarves jogged on, throwing rocks and fighting along side the Hobbit. I speak for all of us when I say that we were _freaked out _by a) Bilbo disappearing into thin air like it was an everyday occurrence and b) Bilbo turning into a littler version of The Rock in a matter of hours and, finally, c) we were being chased by _big _spiders who were subsequently being massacred by a Hobbit.

It had been a very odd day, all in all.

'They retreating!' half yelled Dori, who stumbled to a stop alongside Ori, Dwalin and Balin. With that, the rest of us stopped too, but only to glare at the hissing spiders, who each (quite funnily, really) swore at us before creeping back into the bushes and the trees, intend upon finding their webby little home.

'That,' I had announced, chest heaving. 'Was screwed up'.

'I don't really know what that means, but I agree entirely,' huffed Kili, and it was only then, I think, that we both remembered my past words and shared a side glance, still sweaty, still dirty and still breathing hard.

Dori and Nori let out mad, relieved laughs.

'It appears Master Baggins was right,' said Balin, wandering forward and away from our staring company. 'We've found ourselves stumbling upon another elf-fire. Perhaps this would be a fitting place to rest, and to discuss your magical disappearing act, my dear Hobbit?'

Bilbo shrunk back a little with all our gazes quite suddenly on him, but he agreed and as we settled down in heaps on the floor. I turned to Kili and Fili, 'Thorin will be fine,' I had told them, only then realizing that it was their _Uncle _who was missing. 'The Elves are probably _feeding _him, and that's more than we're getting'.

Fili had lain a solid hand on my shoulders and smiled, his braids waving. 'Thank you, Millie'. Kili just stared at me. I had simply shrugged awkwardly.

We settled down happily and quickly, though we didn't light a fire. In all honesty, I think that none of us were quite so bothered about the cold, having been so tired. And then, Bilbo began his story. I guess you could say that it's an important story, because it mentions something quite important. I wouldn't have known its importance - none of us did, not at that time.

But that's another story entirely.

He told of us of a ring. Showed it to us too, actually. A gold, solid ring. Smooth and round, laying flat against his palm. He said that back when we were with the Goblins (and when he had disappeared) he had stumbled upon a creature called Gollum. At this, I had sat up straight so fast that Kili, who sat to the left and in front of me had actually a jumped a little. _I knew that name. _Heck, I was almost _certain _that _Gollum _was who I had sometimes referred to as _Dobby. _

As Bilbo continued to speak, still holding the ring, I had another one of my epiphany's.

A _ring_.

Holy-

A gold ring that was on every poster, back in the early 2000's. God, I may not have been a fan, or even watched any the films but I wasn't an _idiot, _you know? I knew certain names, but more than anything I knew that there was something _pretty _important about a ring in the _Lord of the Ring _films.

And why else would they bring a ring into this film, if I _was_ in _the_ film? The Hobbit. It must be a...a_ prequel?_

It had been _the _ring.

But was it bad or good? Heck, I had no idea. I mean, it had helped us a _lot _so far. Without it, Bilbo would not have been able to chase off the spiders, and we'd probably be wrapped up in webs once again had he not found the ring in Gollum's cave - had he not had a very unneeded game of riddles with this Gollum dude.

I half listened to the rest of the Bilbo's tale, as he spoke of naming his sword (Sting) and as he went on, it seemed that the other Dwarves began to appreciate Bilbo a hell of a lot more than they once did. By the time we reached questions such as, 'Where is the path?', 'Where do we go next?' and 'Where is Thorin?', they were all directed at the very flustered and very awkward looking Hobbit.

All I knew was that I needed sleep. I needed to forget anything that I had remembered, and I needed to block that sodding ring from my mind.

Once I leaned back and tucked my legs into a curl, Kili had looked over his shoulder and inquired quietly, 'Are you going to sleep now? You may miss a lot of Bilbo's tale'. And he said it as if that fact would be the worst thing in the world. Sigh, Kili and Fili had, from then on, been practically besotted with the Hobbit.

I peered at him through the increasing darkness, pulling my cloak tighter around myself. 'I need sleep,' I had whispered. 'Being kidnapped by giant spiders does that to you, I guess,' I joked weakly.

_Kili. I fancy you, quite a lot actually._

Golly_._

The last thing I had said before closing my eyes was, 'He'll be fine, Kili'.

And he had replied with, 'I know. Sleep, Millie'.

* * *

The next morning, when we all awoke, I felt even worse.

We were hungry, thirsty, dirty, sore and aching. The forest seemed to only grow damper in the air, and I was almost certain that soon we would all die from dehydration. My throat had felt like sandpaper, and the thought of running water had been near crying with want.

Kili, without my request, had lain beside me in the night. It was his back that I woke up to and Bombur's moans of horror at the thought of another day with no food. 'It's a horrible day to be alive,' he had grumbled, kicking the ground with his large feet.

'Amen,' I had mumbled.

'We need to find Thorin,' declared Kili in frustration. Our silent stares and suddenly stern looks were agreement enough. Where we found Thorin, we would most likely find the Elves. 'It's been too long. Anything could have happened to him'.

'Kili-' started Fili.

The youngest shook his head in agitation, too worried for the well-being of his Uncle. As the two comforted one another, I had shrunk back into depths of the group, knowing that this was a discussion that I should not be a part of.

We walked slowly and tiredly, though part of me hated seeing my Dwarven and Hobbit men like this. Normally _I _would have been the one drooping along, complaining of hunger, thirst of tiredness. But, there they were, right beside me and looking as shit as I felt. It had only dampened by confidence and hope even more. But on top of that, it had made me feel...odd, I guess. Like I shouldn't be seeing them like this.

That was when the Wood Elves found us.

It was also when Bilbo vanished from the corner of my eye, but if anyone else saw they said nothing.

First the bows and arrows came protruding out of the bushes, and then came the tall, lithe creatures of the Elves. They wore green, material armor, and it was a stark contrast to the miserable surroundings that we had dwelt in. I had started as the arrows found our faces, and Kili had pushed me firmly in front of him, keeping me close and back-to-chest with his warm form. Gloin growled out offenses, to which one of the pretty looking Elves scoffed out a,

'Profanities are no use here, Master Dwarf. Judging my your lack of weaponry, I can only assume that you will not be fighting back,' she had said slyly, arrows still pointed at our faces. We had been circled, and she was the leader who could call off the attack.

Yet, all that I had been thinking was, _she's pretty hot.__  
_

In the end, we had been bound and blindfolded and placed into a long line. The Dwarves (Gloin) had made a _big _fuss about the whole thing, swearing and kicking and spitting out phrases such as, '_tree huggers'. _At some points I did join in, especially when Kili let go of me and allowed demanding words such as, 'You cannot take our _freedom'._

I had been pushed to the far back of the line by each of the Dwarves, and the Elves had merely smiled at the show of protectiveness. 'I have not seen a she-Dwarf in nearly a century,' said one blonde Elf, moving forward to touch my chin. 'And one so _hairless'. _

These Elves were sassy little shits, weren't they?

The woman Elf came forward, her eyes considering me. 'King Thranduil would not be pleased if we bound and blindfolded a woman, even if she is a Dwarf. Allow her to walk freely, but be on your guard,' she warned, her eyes flicking up to meet the two male Elves who stood either side of me. They peered at Snowthorn, and my hand grasped my sword tightly.

'Lay a hand on her, and you'll have _me _to answer to,' Gloin had growled, looking uncertainly from side to side from beneath his blindfold. 'I'll 'ave you'.

After that, we were led in a long line onward. The Elves walked by our sides, gliding despite the uneven ground and the trees dotted around in the most annoying places. The walk was not a quiet one, mind you. Dwalin and Kili asked repeatedly, 'Where is Thorin?' While Bombur just moaned for more food. I myself just walked to the back of the line, stuck between two Elves.

'So,' I'd said, after a few minutes of walking in silence. 'You guys live here, huh?'

I was met with utter silence.

'...Alright'.

Dori tripped over a tree root and announced, 'Don't try and talk to them, lass. I'd expect _nothing _from these Wood Elves. A _treacherous _lot, they are-'_  
_

The woman Elf, who headed the group, said a sharp, 'I would stop talking now, Master Dwarf. Insulting Wood Elves in a _realm _of Elves is not so wise'. With that, she turned away with a flourish of her perfectly styled hair, tucked neatly behind her elegantly pointed ears.

'What is your name, Lady Elf?' It had been Kili to ask the question.

_Lady Elf? _

There was a pause, and then the woman Elf tipped her head sideways toward the blindfolded Dwarf and said, 'My name is Tauriel, Kili son of Dis. I am the head of the Elven guard of Mirkwood'.

As the silence reigned, the one thought that entered my mind concerned the whereabouts of the invisible Hobbit.

Soon, we found ourselves walking through tunnels that were cold and airy. The change was nice, seeing as the forest had been stuffy and warm, near damp with the mugginess of the place. As we had walked, torches were lit by the Elves, and the halls around us became more apparent. They were dark, with thick bricks and no windows.

As we continued on, dark waterfalls fell from some of the walls, like the river that Bombur had fallen into. Different hallways scattered into other directions, but we continued to follow the larger one, with the Elves leading the line of us Dwarves. Plus Bilbo, wherever he was.

I had just wanted to sleep, to eat, to _cry. _But, then, Tauriel had said, 'Here, beyond these doors, is the Elvenking Thranduil's throne room. He will want to talk to you'. With that, three of the Elves had pushed forward, and with their pushing the great, oak doors in front of us opened.

And there sat the Elvenking, atop his mighty throne.

* * *

**I know it's quite a short chapter, but I cut it down a bit so the some of the next chapter has already been written! I wanted to end it at a good place, and this seemed like a well enough place to stop. **

**I'm sorry for the long update wait, they won't all be like this. Thank you for being so patient, but I am quite busy with everything at the moment, so I hope you can all respect that. **

**Also, thank you so much for the reviews and just the general feedback. Despite my crapiness with updating, you've all given me such good words both on here and on my **_kiliyousosilly_ **tumblr, so thank you so much! I mean, shit, we've almost hit 900 reviews. HOW? I'm in shock, the feedback is just...hgjvbjnm**

**So, yeah, thank you! Also, if any of you want to know what Millie looks like, message me on my tumblr and I can send you links of beautiful fanart that people have done. **

**So yeah, expect an exciting chapter soon!**


	22. The Sass-Attack From Thranduil

King Thranduil was like any other Elf, with his pointed and curved ears, his long blonde hair, his elaborate and elegant dress sense and his high, pointed crown. Seriously, the thing could have probably poked an _eye_ out.

All in all, Thranduil was one _fine _Elf.

From what I had learnt, it was Thranduil who had ditched Thorin and the rest of the Dwarves when Smaug had attacked, and with this came the long and still apparent hate for the Elves. I mean, I _could _understand why Thorin and the others were all anti-Elf, I'd be pretty pissed too. But when I _really _though about it, how could Thranduil have helped against the attack? They _all_ would have probably died.

Still, it was a pretty dick thing to do, regardless.

Thranduil, as we were brought forward, cast his eyes slowly over us all. Lastly, seeing as I was at the back on the line, his gaze had landed on me. For a moment, he had tilted his head quite slowly, held up a hand and then said, 'Unbind them. Take away their blindfolds. They will not be able to leave, now that they have entered'. I didn't know what he had meant by that, but it had sounded pretty unsettling.

As a few of the Elves came forward to take away the rope from around the Dwarves hands (to which they quickly shoved themselves away from the Elves and tore away their blindfolds) Tauriel approached Thranduil's throne and began talking in low voices with the King.

I had shuffled forward some, not liking being at the back of the group and so far away from certain Dwarves. It was Gloin who caught my eye and brought me forward squishing me safely into the midst of the Dwarves.

'I have always admired the way in which Dwarves protect their women,' mused Thranduil suddenly, his voice loud against the low of the hall. The Dwarves said nothing, and this had struck me as odd. Normally, Gloin or Dwalin would be shouting, but all they did was glare. Kili's hand curled around my elbow, and Fili shuffled awkwardly inward.

I was not so nervous that I did not see Kili's dark eyes follow the female Elf.

'I suppose that most of you have taken a vow of silence also?' Thranduil said dryly, standing from his throne with a flourish. He walked down two of the steps, stopping to stare down at us. 'You Dwarves are a _stubborn _race, aren't you?'

Nori had growled, but Dori held him back. 'Say nothing,' I heard him whisper to his brother.

_Now would be a good time to pop up and save the day, Bilbo._

'What were doing in my forests, may I ask, and where exactly were you heading?' The King inquired, standing tall. Not wanting to catch his gaze, I had ducked my head and stared pointedly at the back of Balin's boots. I didn't trust myself to not accidentally let out some information in some witty remark. But, of course, I'm _me_. And you know what that means.

'Wait,' I started, looking up suddenly. Dwalin closed his eyes and began to pray for patience, while Thranduil cast his curious eyes onto me. 'You said _also. '_You have taken a vow of silence _also'. _Is _Thorin _here too?'

Just call me Sherlock, baby.

Kili straightened up beside me. 'If you have my Uncle, I would ask that you give him to us and let us go,' he demanded as calmly as he could. Soon after, Gloin and Bofur demanded the same. Jesus, I'd started a riot.

'What have we done, Elvenking?' said Balin, cutting off the Dwarves angry demands. 'Is it a crime to be lost in a forest, to be hungry and thirsty? Because that is _exactly _what we are'.

'Not only that!' said Gloin. 'But we were attacked by your _pets!' _Balin looked as if he had wanted to smack Gloin upside the head.

Thranduil narrowed his eyes. 'It _is_ a crime to wander into my realm without permission, Master Dwarves and Lady Dwarf. Do not forget that it is _my_ Kingdom you have entered, and that three times you pursued my people and roused the spiders with your loudness and clamor. I will be forced to keep you in prison until you will tell me _exactly_ what you are doing here, and why you have caused such trouble in my realm!'

Oh Lord, Sass-Attack from Thranduil.

The Dwarves, once again, began to shout. Feeling particularly annoyed, I let out an annoyed, 'Aw, _what?' _myself, but shut up once Thranduil beckoned over a blonde male Elf with a, 'Legolas. Take the Lady Dwarf to one of the maids and have her put into their care until the Dwarves speak of their doings in my realm. Make sure she is given a room and a bath'.

_What, does he not think I can _talk? _I could easily be questioned, just as much as the rest of the Dwarves! The _nerve, _just because I'm a _woman_ he thinks I should be pampered-_

_Did he say _bath_?_

Sweet Lord, the Elvenking was going to try and butter be up and get me to spill the beans. Oh, _hell _no.

'No!' I'd snapped, startled. 'No. I go where _they_ go-'

I was elbowed hastily in the side by Kili and shut my mouth immediately. Still, my wide eyes stared at Thranduil and the horror sunk in that I would be on my own in the care of the _Elves_.

Millie no likey.

I grabbed onto Kili's hand as Elves came to escort them to their prison cells. I held it tightly and desperately, hoping that maybe if Thranduil saw my desperation he would allow me to go with them. But I knew that was not what the Dwarves wanted. With me on the outside, it would be easier for me to escape, or find where Bilbo was. Or even Thorin.

As Kili was tugged away from me, he planted a solid kiss into my hairline. He pried his hand from mine with a look that said, quite simply, '_tell them nothing'. _Once I gave a soft nod, he gave (what he had hoped) was a reassuring, half smile. Something jolted across his face as he looked at me, and with a great huff, he opened his mouth and said, 'Millie, I-'

He was shut up when the Elf that held his wrists pushed him into the care of Tauriel. _Beautiful_ Tauriel. I watched as Kili's dark eyes darted up to her, and all speech faltered from his throat.

My harsh glare was the last thing that he saw, but all I could feel was the push of his lips on my skin.

One by one my eye contact was broken with each of the Dwarves, and one by one they were taken through a side passage and away from me. And I was left alone with the remaining Elves.

_Gulp._

'My Lady,' spoke up the handsome (_damn_) blonde Elf - Legolas, right? Yeah. He bowed a little to me (quite difficult, seeing as he was a few feet taller than me) and then nodded to a hallway on the opposite side of the stone room. 'If you would like to follow me?'

I glanced once at the Elvenking who sat atop his throne once again. His hands were clasped in front of him, his gaze hard as he looked to where the Dwarves had left.

'Sure'.

* * *

We walked in silence until, finally, Legolas asked, 'What is your name?'

I started a little, having been so lost in my panicked thoughts. I had been wondering where my Dwarven friends were, as well as Bilbo. The door had been closed after the Dwarves and I wondered whether the Hobbit was able to follow them, or whether he was stuck with following me.

I needed to get rid of Leggy so that I could talk to him, _find _him.

I coughed quietly and answered, 'Alexandria, but my friends call me Millie'. Perhaps he would spy out the hint in that sentence, the kidnapping Elf freak. Thankfully he did.

His perfect mouth twitched. 'Very well, Lady Alexandria. My name is Legolas, Prince of Mirkwood'.

_Oh, bloody hell._

'O-_oh_. So you're Thranduil's son, then?' I had asked, rounding the corner with him. The walls thinned out the more we had walked, and the windows became larger and the trees more common. The place _smelt _green, you know?

'I am,' he replied. Suddenly, he stopped. 'Here is where I will leave you. This is a guest bedroom, I will send a maid to run you a bath soon and a guard will be posted outside of your door. I hope you will not take offence,' he bowed a little at me as he opened the door. _Of course I'm going to take offence, moron. _Timidly, I took a small step forward and said a quiet, 'Thank you', as the door closed behind me. Hopefully my little pause was enough for Bilbo to step in, if he was here at all.

I most definitely heard footsteps approach as soon as Legolas walked away, and knew that the guard had been posted outside of my door. It was warning, not that I would try and leave without my friends, anyway. _Bollocks. _As quietly as I could, I had whispered, '...Bilbo?'

Nothing.

I was on my own.

Well, I _would _have been, had an Elven woman not then walked into my room, shutting the door softly behind her. I remember being quite nervous then, terrified, really. I mean, she was stunning and I was...alone, scared and dirty. She in power, and I was not.

'What have they done with my friends?' I'd asked as soon as her blue eyes had turned to me, tripping over to her. She held a piece of fabric flopped over her crossed arms. 'Let me see them, _please_'.

Her voice was tight when she spoke to me, as if serving me was the worse kind of work. 'The Dwarves are in the dungeons. King Thranduil is not one to send women into the prisons of Mirkwood. You should be thankful that he has offered you so much, She-Dwarf'.

'My name is Alexandria,' I bit back, raising my chin.

She then bowed her head slightly. 'Apologies. I am Shialaevar, Lady Alexandria. I have been assigned as your maid during your stay here, until King Thranduil sees it fit for yourself and your Dwarven companions to leave. This will be your room, as I am sure Prince Legolas has told you, and through there is your washroom'.

_Shi-what? And I thought _my_ name was bad. _'So, I'm a prisoner,' I'd deadpanned, letting my bag drop to the floor.

Shi (it's easier to call her that, okay?) tilted her head and smiled a little. 'Yes, but you are one of our better cared for prisoners. You cannot blame us for wanting to understand what you were doing in our Woodland Realm, and why you caused such a ruckus with the spiders. It _is_ heavily frowned upon to do so. Now, would you like me to run you a bath?' The look that she gave me said, quite blatantly, _because you sure as hell need one._

I'd cast a stiff look at her, crossing my arms. 'I thought you guys would, like, bathe with the trees or whatever'.

Shi cocked a perfect brow. 'There was a time when we Wood Elves would bathe in the ponds and outside bath houses, but since the water has turned dark and poisonous, that is no longer acceptable. We bathe in tubs, like many other races do. Only for our own safety'.

_Right._

'Oh. Well then, yes. I'd like a bath very much. May as well take advantage of warm water and clean clothes while I can, huh? Sleeping with a bunch of stinky guys every night can make one rather...ripe'.

Shi had settled the fabric in her arms onto the bed and sent me a shrewd look. 'I have never met a Dwarven woman before, are you all so odd?' I hadn't even taken offence, I'd just snorted out a laughed. '...Very well,' she replied slowly. 'This is a dress for you to wear, so that I can wash your...clothes. It is of the Elvish children, a dress once worn by a 'tween', I suppose you would call it. We have nothing else in your size'.

Right. I was a midget.

'Lovely,' I replied dryly. Shi gave a small, stiff bow and proceeded into the washroom, located just to the side of my current bedroom. The first thing that I noticed were that there was no windows - _none. _My only escape would be the door, and that was to be guarded all day and night. There was a double bed with an _actual mattress, _a small set of draws and a chair just to the side of the bed.

It was so bare that something told me this place was practically _made _for short term guests. It wasn't lavish like you would imagine a place of the Elves to be, meaning that they had purposely placed me in here because I _was _a prisoner. I would not receive lavish sleeping quarters, but _sufficient _sleeping quarters.

Little did they know that this was _ luxury _to me. While I waited for Bilbo to figure something out, I would bathe, sleep and plot a little myself. I would need to be ready for our escape, of which I had been _positive _would happen.

Call me arrogant, but we'd gotten out of some sticky situations _so_ far. Something told me that it would be the Hobbit who would be saving us this time, rather than the Wizard.

I had then found myself wandering in front of a mirror, placed on top of the set of draws. And then I had _seen_ myself. Well, the self that I had become, anyway. I hadn't ever _looked _at myself in a mirror since coming to Middle Earth - I'd be too busy, as well as not being so vain. I doubted that the Dwarves and Bilbo would have taken lightly to me checking myself out all the time.

Yet, there I had been.

My dark hair was longer and messier, dryer looking and thicker. I was shorter, obviously. My ears were a little bigger too and my face much thinner, what with the lack of food and the amount of exercise that I had been continuously getting. There, on my cheek, was the slight indent of a scar that I had received from the Goblins. I had been less pale too, though I blame that on the constant sunlight that I had been getting, due to being outdoors all of the time. My cloak, shirt, breeches and boots were muddy and darker than they had been before, seeing as Mirkwood had ruined their cleanliness.

I'd looked hardly anything like my human self. Like Millie.

'Your bath is ready'.

I'd twitched out a jump of surprise and turned ungracefully to Shi. It was only when I felt my hand on the hilt of sword did I realize just _how _much those Dwarves had changed me. I'd built myself around them and their customs, learnt to live when them and fight with them, learnt to study their ways and find a beginning and an end to our story.

I'd really become one of them, hadn't I?

Shi's smart eyes darted down to my sword and her brows raised in amusement. 'Dwarves _are _rather brusque, aren't they?' she'd chirped. 'Come, I have run you a bath and trust me, Lady Alexandria, you are in great need of one'.

I hadn't argued nor bit back with a retort of my own. Shi led me into the small washroom where a single tub was, as well as a basin and a toilet. Funny thing was, I hadn't really seen a toilet in Middle Earth. I'd nearly cried at the relief that had washed through me at that moment - no more peeing in the wilderness, _yes!_

'Do you require my assistance?'

I had shaken my head and Shi had said something about leaving some towels on my bed, and then she had left. It was only when I was alone that I had realized I would gladly sacrifice all of this comfort, just to curl against Kili in the coming night.

My boots came off first, scattering dry mud onto the washroom floor. Next came my breeches, Snowthorn, my cloak, my dark shirt and then my bra. I'd stood there, cold and in the unheated rooms of Mirkwood, looking at my tan lines, my bruises, my cuts and my scrapes. The tub was directly in front of me, steaming slightly and looking awfully inviting.

The moment the water had hit my skin, I'd hissed and settled against the back of the tub. My skin hadn't been used to the heat, and my cuts complained at the pain. Soon though, I became used to it and watched as the clear water soon turned cloudy with the filth that washed off of me. There was a small bar of soap which I rubbed hazardously against my scalp, my legs, my chest and my arms.

Oh, how _lovely _it was to feel _clean._

But there was this niggling at the back of my head, an uneasiness that had my thoughts travelling back to _my _Dwarves. They'd been led downward, to the dungeons. Considering how Thranduil was treating me, I couldn't imagine that he would treat the Dwarves any worse. Perhaps they were cold and they were uncomfortable, but I couldn't imagine that the King would _starve_ them.

Bilbo _had_ to be planning something. I had known that he would have to be careful though, just in case he was found, despite his invisibility. Weren't Hobbits supposed to be quiet and quick? He'd proved so far that he was capable of being sneaky, I'd just hoped that he could get us out of _this_ mess.

There was another feeling too, an annoying little thought that kept travelling to the front of my mind. Kili. I'd missed him. I'd wanted to tell him _again _that I'd fancied the pants off of him, that I thought he was lovely and that I didn't _care _about his beardless state, nor the fact that he was so hopeless, dorky and reckless. I wanted to tell him that he was mine, and that Tauriel had no right to touch him.

I'd wished that I could just _see _him, as well as the others.

With my head buried in my naked arms and the steaming water surrounding me, I had thought of burning fires, laughing Dwarves, a chuckling Hobbit, a smoking Wizard and the feeling of a warm frame, sitting next to mine.

* * *

Shi came and went later on, picking up my clothes and leaving only Snowthorn behind. She'd wrinkled her nose in confusion at my bra, to which I had blushed and said, 'You wouldn't get it, even if I told you'.

Briefly, she had mentioned that the next night she would not be here much, considering that the Elves were having some sort of 'party hard' night. I'd shrugged and perched on the end of my bed, wrapped only in a towel, my wet hair dripping over my shoulders. I know that you're probably thinking that _maybe _I should have realized, 'Hey, that'd be a _perfect _time to escape!'

I hadn't though, that was someone else's job.

When Shi left, I'd dropped my towel onto the floor and dove under the covers, pressing my bare body against the soft, solid mattress. My muscles ached, my eyes drooped. I couldn't comprehend how we would leave this place, and how we had needed to _hurry _up about leaving, considering the fact that we had to reach Erebor before the moon did some weird shit. Honestly, I hadn't been able remember much about it at that time. I had been too tired, too upset and too lost.

As you'll come to see, my time in Mirkwood _was_ short, after all.

* * *

**Changes that I made: They won't be staying in Mirkwood for two weeks, but rather two _days _and one night. I can see them doing something like that in the films, and I just thought that it would suit this story better. I think I may stick to the idea of them staying in Laketown for a while, though. Hm.**

**Anyway, I hoped that you liked this chapter, despite the fact it was mainly the Dwarves buggering off and Millie having some thinking time. I liked writing that though, and I liked writing about Mirkwood and Thranduil. Admittedly, he's not in it much (and neither is Tauriel, but we'll get some more of that in later chapters!) But, if you've read the book, then you'll know we see some more of the Elves!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews. I'm in awe and Jesus, almost 1000 reviews! That's insane! Thank you so, so, so much! And also, thank you for being so patient with my updates. I know that they're not as regular as they once were.**

**Thank you! **


	23. It Happened In A Barrel

The dress was tighter around my chest and thighs, but it was good enough to roam about in and nothing private was popping out in all the wrong places. That _would _have made it majorly awkward when Shi had slipped quietly into my room.

The dress was nothing special - nothing compared to what I had seen the Elves wear so far. The sleeves were baggy around my elbows and the hem reached my ankles, thank God. If not, I would have been falling about the room and tripping over the darned dress. It was light to wear, lovely compared to the cloak, shirt, breeches and boots I had been wearing. On top of that - no _bra. _I had felt so _free._

_'_I have brought you something to eat,' said Shi, settling a plate of bread and cheese onto my bed (which had been _hell _of a comfy to sleep on, by the way). It was then that my stomach gave a great and mighty groan of hunger, and I was reminded that although I had bathed and slept, I had not yet _eaten._

'_Thank_ you,' I'd moaned, diving for the food and devouring it while Shi spoke to me, eyeing me with obvious distaste. I hadn't eaten properly in _days, _throw me a freakin' bone.

'Your Dwarven friends are still staying silent about your wanderings in Mirkwood; I don't suppose that you would consider supplying us with this information? King Thranduil thinks it would make the whole ordeal much easier,' Shi said smoothly, eyes lingering on the bread that I chomped into.

Food makes _everything_ better.

'Are you feeding them?' I'd asked, completely disregarding her question. 'You're not, like, starving them or anything, are you?'

Shi's face took on a look of great offense. 'We Wood Elves are not _barbarians, _Lady Dwarf. They were given dinner last night, though you fell asleep before we could offer it to you. They have also been given the same breakfast as you, as well as water. We treat our guests well, no matter if they _are_ intruders'.

At her pointed look, I'd smiled quite innocently.

'Is Thorin here too?' I popped the last piece of cheese into my mouth and swallowed, finally content and happy with my fullness. Might as well make the most of this luxury, eh? 'No point in lying. I know that he is'.

Shi did not speak for a second, but then said, 'Then why ask?'

Carefully, I placed my elbows onto my knees and squinted at her. 'You have a lot of attitude for an Elf, don't you?' Without waiting for an answer, I hopped onto my bare feet and fingered the light material of the dress. 'Thanks for this, by the way. I haven't worn anything even slightly feminine or clean in _months. _Heck, I don't even know how long-'

_T.M.I, __Millie_. _Shut your trap when the Elves are about._

'I'm not allowed to leave this room then?' Shi nodded once, gathering up my used towel carefully. 'Oh, do you need any help with that?' Shi shook her head. 'Can I not see my friends just _once?'_

'Your friends are each being kept in separate cells to stop any...messages from travelling between them. You are being kept in a cell of you own, although a slightly...fresher one,' Shi stood up straight and waved her pretty, long hair over her shoulder, looking down to consider me. 'If you would just _talk, _you could all leave once King Thranduil has considered your story'.

I said nothing, while Shi merely sighed.

* * *

I'll skip ahead, just because what happened for the most part of that day consisted of me roaming around my cell room, Shi visiting to give me food and water and myself knocking pathetically on the door and moaning to the guard that I was having a boring old time, and could he please let me out for just _five _minutes.

He didn't. _Big_ Surprise.

It was only when I was leaning against the door and studying Snowthorn that I heard voices through the fine wood. Uncrossing my legs, I'd pressed myself closer to the closed door, ear flat against the wood.

The words were a mixture of Elvish and English (what I had guessed to be English anyway, it could be called anything here) words such as 'feast' and 'wine' were broken through the male Elves words. My own guards voice became stressed (I'd grown used to hearing him become annoyed at me), until it became questioning and then, finally, he was sighing and laughing.

Annoyingly, there had then been a stretch of silence in which I had considered knocking on the door, or just simply leaving it. _If _the guard (like I'd assumed) _had _been dragged off with another, then...well, I could potentially slip out of my room and...

And what? I had no way of freeing the Dwarves, nor did I even know _where _they were. I'd screw it up straight away, and Thorin would go right back to thinking me an annoying, hyperactive child. I'd only just convinced them that I was Dwarf worthy-

It was then, as I had my little Angst-Fest, that the door opened sharply, slamming into the side of my head. With a yelp I scrambled to my feet, dragging my skirts up with me and staring in horror at the empty doorway.

And then, in the stillness, Bilbo Baggins had sprung into my vision, gold ring in hand.

'_Holy-!'_

He pressed himself quickly against the door, closing it with his weight. His hand found my mouth, to which quickly muffled any swear words that were sure to start bubbling out.

'You _found _me,' I'd sighed happily, bringing the stressed looking Hobbit into a much needed hug. 'Bilbo, I thought you'd been locked out into the forests or something. I was _worried, _man!'

Bilbo returned the hug, albeit a little awkwardly. 'I've been hiding. I have the ring, after all. I don't have much time, so _please _stay quiet and listen, Millie'. He didn't even wait for my affirmation of silence. 'The guard that has been posted outside of this room has gone with the other guards to the cellar, where they're now drinking some _rather _potent wine'.

Sounds like something I'd enjoy. Go on.

I began buckling on Snowthorn. 'I've already got the others into the barrels, but I needed to get to you last while they hid. Come, we don't have much time. I'm going to turn invisible but I will hold onto your hand and lead the way. Alright?' Er-

The only word that I had been able to stutter out was, '_Barrels?' _And then, 'You've seen them - the Dwarves?' Kili, Fili - _Kili._

'Yes, yes! Come on, duck and run!' And then the crazy little Hobbit grabbed onto my hand and yanked me out of the door while I scooped my bag into my arms. The hallways _were _empty, but the distant sound of singing could be heard, further down the hallway where I had not yet ventured. Bilbo disappeared in the blink of an eye, although I could still feel the pressure of his hand in mine.

_They're waiting for you. They waited._

I had never felt more part of the company than I had then.

We ran as fast as we could, pressed against the walls while also trying to be silent. When it came to turning a corner, we would slow down and tiptoe. Finally, we came to the doors that led into what I remembered to be the King's Chamber. Where the Dwarves had been sent away, and where Legolas, the Prince, had escorted me to my room. Probably to try an scoop some information out of me.

Bilbo's hand slipped form mine at one point and my heart gave a funny little spasm of panic. It was, thank Everything, quickly slipped into mine once again and his pull was harder, as if he new _exactly _where to go now.

We stopped outside the doors when an Elvish conversation became louder than the Elvish singing, but that too soon evaporated into the distance - _whew_.

I'd hardly noticed how cold I was growing, having only worn a dress. I had also barely noticed the fact that my feet were bare against the stone floor, or that we were slipping through the great doors and into the King's empty Chamber. I don't know _how _I'd hardly noticed, seeing as it took the dual burden of myself and the invisible Bilbo wrench open the heavy doors quietly.

For a moment, there was that kind of great anticipation. You know, like we were to open the doors and a voice would should 'Hey there!' Thankfully, no one did. Bilbo had been right in saying that everyone had gone to this great feast, but I also knew that the guards would be down those steps right in front of us, and that we would have to slip past _them _too.

Feet stumbled across the King's chamber, through the door in which the Dwarves had disappeared and down the uneven, clean and hard stone steps. The singing was faint now, but there was a soft snoring to take its place. A voice whispered into my ear, and a hand pulled me to a stop. 'They are asleep, but you _must _be quiet!'

This new, superhero Bilbo was starting to freak me out a little, if I'm honest. I mean, at one point he had been at the same experience level as me: _Useless_. Now though, he was a respected and listened to member of the group, and I was just barely learning to defend myself.

I mean, the Hobbit was kickin' ass in all kinds of ways.

Bilbo's tug pulled me quietly to the bottom of the stairs. We ducked and peered around the stone wall corner, spying out the Elves that sat around a table, heads lolled against the wood and empty goblets standing proudly next to them. I recognized one of them as my own silver haired guard, the one who would accept my banter through the door with '_hmmm_'s and '_oh yes_?'s.

And there, leaning against the doorway at the opposite end of the cellar, was Balin. His old face caught a contagious smile as I waved madly at him, mouth sealed shut and keeping as quiet as Bilbo had told me to. Speaking of that, the Hobbit soon reappeared right beside me, rolling the ring nervously past his fingers.

'I must put the keys back onto his belt,' he mused, very quietly. 'Wouldn't want him to get into trouble'.

_Yeah. Wouldn't want _that_._

I hastily sped _quietly_ across the floor, grabbing onto Balin's shoulder very _quietly_ and yanking him into a sudden and awkward hug. As he pulled away, the beard twitched and he said, quite gruffly, 'Follow the hall down there, lass. You'll find them'.

I did as I was told.

With my bag banging against me, I hurried down the hall and wrenched open a door slowly, slipping through the doorway and toward my waiting Dwarves. They were each in a barrel, just as Bilbo had said. The barrels were stacked up against the wall, meaning that many of them were on top of each other. I was, madly, reminded of a cheerleader pyramid.

'The Hobbit got you here then?' declared Bofur in a low voice, leaning out of his barrel, gloved hands curling around the sides. He smiled widely.

I snorted, walking toward the lot. 'He _helped,_ I suppose'.

'And found you an Elven dress along the way,' said Thorin, cocking a thick eyebrow. I blushed at the fact that I was indeed a _Dwarf_ wearing an Elven dress. 'No matter, get into a barrel-'

He was cut off by Balin and Bilbo opening the door and shutting it quickly behind them. 'We've taken _far _too long,' announced the twitchy Hobbit. 'Millie, Balin, climb into a- well yes, well done Balin,' commented the Hobbit, watching as the dwarf climbed past Bofur and into a barrel of his own. 'Millie, you are small, share with- okay, yes'.

I had cut him off by starting toward the only Dwarf who I would _consider _sharing a barrel so closely with. Or, I hadn't really though about it at all. I'd watched him from the moment I'd entered the room, and after that everything else had fallen into one, solid order: get as close to him as you can, and don't leave him again.

As Bilbo began the job of sealing up all of the barrels as quickly and as efficiently as he could, I took my bag away from my shoulder and handed it down to the Heir, the Prince. His barrel was one of the lowest on the floor. This would mean very awkwardly crawling onto my hands and knees and backing into it. Get ready for a face full of _butt, _Kili.

'Hurry _up, _Millie,' whispered Ori, quite paranoid about the next lot of Elves coming down soon.

I shot him a dirty look and threw my back hair. Around me the Dwarves muttered profanities as they were sealed away, while Bilbo said, 'Once we've been cast out, I've made them loose enough for them to be pushed off'. _That_ shut them up quickly.

'My air holes are _horrendous,' _muttered Balin as he was sealed away, while Thorin said something about his complete lack of space. As they mumbled, I backed awkwardly into the barrel with Kili, hyper-aware of the fact that my dress was riding up and that, once I was entirely in, my bag was causing great discomfort.

'So,' I muttered. 'This is _comf-' _I was cut off by the sudden clatter of Bilbo smacking the lid onto our barrel, and so we had been sent into darkness, light filtering through the various air holes that had been made.

Our breathing was heavy in the small space, and I was very aware of Kili beside me and his still not washed clothes against my clean, rather pretty dress. 'You still stink,' I told him lightly, not one for emotional hellos.

'And you look beautiful, Millie,' he told me, no trace of joking in his voice. I could see his face, but awkwardly (there wasn't a lot of space) I had jolted my arm from where it had been squeezed at my side and felt around for his hard jaw, his rough stubble. Once I found it, I felt there for a moment, muttering a small thank you and just _pleased _to be touching him again.

The barrel was growing hot with our breathing, and vaguely I heard the loud chatter of others. The Elves had come.

'I don't want to leave you again,' I whispered quickly, _madly. _I had known that this was the moment, in a barrel as we tried to escape the grasp of an Elven King. 'Last night I decided that if I managed to get back to you, I wouldn't waste another moment arsing around or awkwardly trying to tell you - you-' Oh _bloody _hell. 'Kili, I don't care about the fact that you don't have a beard, or-' Oh God, I'd forgotten the _speech_.

'I- you're _mine'._ Not hers, _mine. _

The words came out in a whispered confession in a barrel, just as the barrel began to roll forward. Of course I was terrified that he had not said anything during my little confession, of course my face was ablaze with blushing and stammering. But once the barrel began to move, his large hands grabbed on to my waist to bring me closer and my legs locked tightly onto his, keeping him in place.

We protected each other, Kili and I.

There were three great jolts (in which our foreheads bumped together) and then a moment where we _free fell, _I guess. Then, there was a splash beneath us, the feeling of swaying and bobbing and feeling emptiness beneath you - something that kept you afloat, but was not quite solid. My head swayed, my knees jerked upward and Kili gave a great 'oof!'

'S-sorry!' I yelped, realizing precisely _where _I had kneed him.

'The lid,' he bit out. 'We're upright!' Despite his short sentences, I understood what he had meant. With our rough swaying, we soon managed to punch off the lid with aching palms, bursting into the sunlight and the splashing water of the real world.

I spun around to face the river, back pressed against Kili's chest. The others were around us, all of their lids having already been pushed open, their shouts were drowned out by the roaring of the river. We were thrown forward, underneath a great bridge and further down the river, spinning around bends and shouting when we drew too near to any rocks.

'This was an _awful _idea!' shouted one of the Dwarves.

My dress had been drenched by the constant splashing of water, and all I could shout was, 'Amen!'

The trees on either side of the banks grew thinner as we went along, and I knew that we were getting further and further away from the depths of Mirkwood. Behind me, Kili shouted as the river dropped down and with it we went, swaying and lurching in the rough, twirling water, our stomachs heaving and our mouths full of salty water.

It seemed to last forever.

'We are coming toward a bank!' roared Thorin, finally. 'Get ready!'

Nothing could have prepared me for the sudden twist that Kili took with the barrel, directing us into the same direction that the others were going. The action sent me straight into the curve of the barrel and my stomach into DO NOT THROW UP mode. As the land scraped beneath the barrel, ourselves and the other Dwarves scrambled painfully out while we still moved, throwing ourselves onto the rocky, uneven bank. My foot, having my wrapped around my bag, was yanked painfully as the weight of said bag pulled at it.

For a moment, I just lay there, wondering if any of what had happened had _actually_ just happened.

The others had the same idea as me, as they all lay there, too sore to move. Had we looked closer, we would have seen that just around the other corner of the bank, there was a Man upon a platform collecting in each of our lone, floating barrels. We would have also seen the small town, just further along, standing alone upon a large lake.

We were, apparently, too busy for that.

'Bilbo!' gasped Bofur, spluttering water from his beard and tightening his hat (which _must _have been glued to his head, or something). The Dwarf went to the stumbling, sick looking Hobbit who gladly took the support that Bofur gave him. 'You didn't get yourself a barrel, silly Hobbit!'

'Not enough time,' swayed Bilbo, curly hair dripping.

Right, we were wet. _  
_

I was wearing a white dress.

And I had just confessed by feelings to a Dwarf who still said _nothing._

'Is everyone here?' said Thorin, standing up himself. I sat upright, curling my arms around my chest and praying that _no __one _would look at me. Dwarves lay all around me, flat against the rocky bank, holding their heads and moaning about 'bloody barrels'. In fact, Bombur, Dori and Ori were still half in theirs, and Ori was in the process of throwing a wriggling fish from his barrel.

Fili and Kili were huddled together, quietly checking the other over. Fili gripped Kili's arm, while the other looked up at his Uncle, then straight at me. I just shrugged at him, not knowing what else to do.

Kili held out his hand and without even pausing, I half stood and stumbled over to him and Fili, arms still wrapped around myself. You know, having a _wet _white dress just made things awkward, and having been rather cold...well, _certain_ things could have cut ice at that moment.

That was disgusting, I'm sorry.

_Snort_.

Thorin's voice was rough and loud as he stood, hand on Bilbo's shoulder. 'Bilbo says that the _Elves-' _he spat the word with pure loathing now. Honestly, I couldn't help but glower at the mention of the Elves, no matter if it _was _right for them to capture some intruders. 'Said the barrels were sent toward Laketown. We will make our way toward the town now'.

Everybody let out tired, great groans.

'Up!' snapped Thorin, not in the mood to be disobeyed. With that, our company had stumbled to our feet. Kili stayed close to Fili, while I stayed close to Kili, his hand on me at all times, and my head lolling against his shoulder.

My eyes snapped open, though, when his warm breath was next to my ear with a, 'We will talk soon, I promise'.

* * *

There was a long bridge leading to the place that Thorin had called Laketown, and what a well named place it _was. _From what I could see from the outside, the Town was square and sitting upon stilts and platforms of wood to keep it away from the calm water below. Thatched roofs and houses were seen to make up the square of the town, and long boats broke the water.

The Dwarves boots made funny little squelching sounds, while my feet ached from being bare and walking along the rock and wood. Bilbo walked quite happily(ish), having had hard Hobbit feet. The Dwarves braids dripped and their beards were drying with brittle salt of the river. They were pretty miserable, all in all.

'You say there is a Master of this town?' asked Nori.

'Aye,' answered Thorin. He had been short with everyone since first laying eyes on the Misty Mountain that towered in the distance, his eyes full of longing and sternness. He'd been especially short with Kili and Fili, who lingered at the back of the group with me. 'And we must convince him to let us stay here before we make for the Mountain'.

It was hard, sometimes, to believe how far we'd come.

Finally, the odd group of us reached the gates that lead into Laketown. At these gates, there had stood to guards of the race of Men. I had guessed so, anyway. They were tall and didn't have pointy ears, so I had assumed (rightly, as well).

After a moment of staring at us in bewilderment, one of the guards gripped the hilt of his word and said, 'Who are you and what do you want?'

Thorin stepped forward, shorter than the two Men but far too miffed off to appear weak. 'I am Thorin son of Thrain son of Thror, King Under the Mountain,' he declared. I've said it once and I'll say it again, could 'Hello, I am Thorin', not suffice? 'And I wish to see the Master of this Town'.

One of the guards opened his mouth and then closed it and then said, 'Oh. Er, and who are these?' He looked to the rest of us in our bedraggled, cold state.

Thorin's shoulders had drooped in annoyance, and his eyes had taken on a tired, hard look. 'Kili and Fili, sons of my sister. Dwalin, son of-' I will not bore you with the family history of each of the Dwarves, so I'll leave the rest to your imagination. To put it simply, Thorin had named each of the Dwarves and their fathers. Literally.

'-Bilbo Baggins, who has joined us on this journey from the West, and Lady Alexandria, daughter of-' Thorin cut himself off, paused and then looked back at me. Oh, this would be one of those giggly moments in the cinema, wouldn't it?

'Robert,' I filled in awkwardly, crossing my arms even tighter. The guard looked down to my feet and my wet dress, cocking an eyebrow. I cocked one right back, while Kili stood in front of me and Thorin coughed loudly. Of course, I had known that Dwarves were stupidly protective of their women when it came to other races.

The guards considered us. 'Only the woman Dwarf wears a weapon,' he said.

'And I can hardly use it, so there's not point in taking it away,' I returned, popping my head out from behind Kili's back. _Not that you'd be able to take it anyway_. The guards shared a look and then shrugged, apparently too caught up with the fact that _Thorin Oakenshield _had returned.

'The Master is at a feast, but very well. Follow me'.

And then they opened the gate into Laketown, and I wondered exactly what would transpire.

Food, hopefully.

* * *

**This chapter took FOREVER to write. I'm sorry, but I hope that you understand that writing from book to my own writing is hard enough, and then trying to add some originality to the scenes. I changed things, as you can see, but it still flows into the same place: Laketown. I'm so excited to write about Laketown, just because much will happen!**

**I won't let out too much, but from what happened in this chapter, perhaps you can guess what will happen. Now that they will be safe and dry, there's a lot of time for talking, huh?**

**Onto the obvious thing, 1000 reviews! I died, guys. I freaked out and then died. Thank you so much, I mean it! Anyway, expect the humor to return a bit more, now that Millie's in a place where she isn't a alone and freaking out.**


	24. Laketown Lovin'

The Master of Laketown was equivalent to the John McCririck of Middle Earth. Ginger, greasy and pretty gross looking. The Master wore a fur coat, a shirt and had a red napkin tucked untidily past the collar of said shirt. His thin, ginger mustache twitched as the group of us entered the great hall in which he feasted, and his eyes looked questioningly to the guard who led us in.

'Thorin Oakenshield,' said the guard. 'Son of Thrain, and company'. With that, he stood and aside and Thorin stepped forward. The Master stood from his great chair as the chatter of the people attending the feast died to down. Some even went as far to give little gasps.

'The King Under the Mountain?' questioned the Master, leaning heavily on the table. His beady eyes were nervous, and his forehead was damp.

'The very one,' said Dwalin gruffly, standing beside Thorin. Half of the people at the feast now looked to be having great epiphany's at the _gossip _that they were hearing. Then there were some who stood slowly, eyeing our group with their blue, sharp eyes.

'Ah,' I muttered to the Dwarves. '_Elves'._

'These are _prisoners!' _declared one of the Elves, throwing a hand in our direction. _Rude_. 'This Dwarf is no _King _Under the Mountain. They escaped earlier today from King Thranduil, having been found wandering our realm and molesting our people!'

'_What _are you on about?' I half snorted, baffled. 'We didn't _molest _anyone!'

Thorin stepped forward angrily, a growl bubbling from his throat as he spat, 'We were making our way through Mirkwood to our own land when we were attacked by the beasts that dwell there, and then taken prisoner by the _Wood Elves _when we tried to ask for aid. But this town is not of the Wood Elves' realm, and I came to speak with the Master _of this_ town'.

The Master appeared to hesitate, and with that I knew that I would not like this man. He was weak and unsure of who to trust, simply because he did not want to come onto bad terms with the Elvenking. Wussy.

'Master,' said one of the people at the table. 'I believe what he says. None other than the King Under the Mountain would want to take back the Misty Mountain with that dragon living there. No one but the King _himself_'.

Take that, Elf.

'Except to try and get the _gold,' _reminded an Elf with snark.

'Look, _princess-' _I had started, only to be sent silent by Thorin's half amused half furious glare. I don't know how the guy managed to pull off such a look, but he sure did.

Suddenly the Master was tilting his and nodding once at the mention of _gold_. The Elves sighed heavily while we were pushed further into the hall and the guests at the table all stood to make room for us. Food was thrown our way, and Thorin was sent to sit at the head of the table where the Master of Laketown had once sat. At his side, being the Heirs, Fili and Kili were told to sit.

I couldn't help but grin at them, too happy that things had gone our way. Hell, I thought that I might break into song.

And, Sweet Lord, the _guests_ started singing. Then, from the streets, the singing got louder and louder and, heck, I felt like I was in a particularly corny episode of _Glee. _They were singing about Thorin being the King Under the Mountain and that he had returned at last. I hadn't even _known _that people had waited for this day, or anything like that.

'_How _did this even happen?' I asked incredulously to Ori, who sat beside me. The Dwarf looked at me in equal bafflement and shrugged, shaking his head. His head stilled as soon as one big ass roasted chicken was plated up in front of him, though.

I couldn't quite stop the smile form bursting onto my face as I looked about at the people who had started to play music around the hall. Those who had entered from the streets had started dancing, and Thorin spoke with the Master in deep tones. Balin and Dwalin were laughing together, Ori ate his chicken, Bofur was squeezing water from his misshapen hat, Dori and Nori were laughing along with Bombur, Oin and Gloin. And Kili and Fili, they had been talking to Bifur in Khuzdul over the clamor.

The Master would boom out random songs at any given moment, but most of them had a running theme. 'Anyone else notice the fact that Greedy over there mentions _gold _and _gifts_ ina lot in his songs?'

Balin just hid his merry little laugh into the contents of his ale.

It was quite...unnerving after a while, actually. Not only were we famous and cheered after at every moment, but I was...thought of as quite an extraordinary thing. 'A Lady Dwarf!', 'And one so beautiful!', 'A gem!'

_They would not leave me alone._

After a while I escaped from the servers who would consistently come to fill up my wine glass and decided that it was time to mention to Thorin that the rest of the company looked dead on their feet.

The King was talking in low voices with Kili and Fili, and I caught the phrase, '-dangerous enough _already-', _to which Fili looked angrily at Kili. Once I awkwardly stood still, ready to backtrack, Thorin sighed and turned to me saying, 'Yes, Millie?'

'_Sorry,' _I cringed, holding up my hands. 'I was just wondering when we were gonna _hit the hay. _Everyone looks pretty much dead and if one more person points out my lack of beard, I'm gonna go homicidal'.

Thorin bowed his head with a small smile, although Fili and Kili still looked oddly stiff and angry. 'You are right. I will tell the Master that we require lodgings. Sit here, please'. Okay, apparently once fed and warm Thorin was freakishly gentlemanly. He slid from his chair and walked into the direction of the Master, who was talking animatedly to three others.

I awkwardly sat between Kili and Fili, whose silences contrasted with the heavy buzz of the room. 'What's got you two all mopey, then?' I'd asked.

'Uncle seems to believe that Kili and I are not capable of the rest of the journey to defeat Smaug, and that we should stay here with you,' said Fili, fists clenched in his lap.

The idea seemed ludicrous, and I told them so. 'I mean, I get why _I _should stay here - not that I will, of course,' I said haughtily, to which Kili's cheek twitched and his dark eyes rose from his knees to look at me.

_'We will talk soon, I promise'._

My back straightened quickly when the Master's nasally voice said loudly, 'If the company of Thorin Oakenshield would please follow me, I will take you to your housing!'

'I don't like him,' I grumbled, sliding from my seat. 'The creep'.

'None of us do,' said Fili lowly, pulling back my chair for me and leading us along with the rest of the Dwarves as the people in the room cheered for no apparent reason. Jesus, we were _celebrities._

When we were all taken into the Town Square it only grew worse. People leaned out of their windows to catch glimpses of us, children (who were only a little shorter than me, some the same height) pointed at Thorin. The King took it all in his stride, as did Kili and Fili. I guess they must have been used to it now, being royalty. But still, the youngest looked both elated and proud.

Myself? I just hid behind Bombur. Somehow a pretty, yellow flower was pushed into my hands by a elderly woman, but before I could thank her she was swiped away by the people that we had pushed through. Why she gave me the flower, I will never know. Still...no one had ever given me a flower before.

The Master led us through a street to the side of the Square and then up to a high wooden house (everything was wooden, really), which looked to be three stories high. Bilbo looked especially startled to be staying somewhere so _big._

The Master opened the door and we were pushed in in a single file fashion, and then he said something along the lines of, 'There's plenty of food to enjoy, my King and Company!'

And then he shut the door, quieting the cheering and singing from outside.

'I feel like Britney _Spears,' _I giggled, wiggling the flower between my fingers. 'Look what someone gave me!' I then shoved it behind my ear and gave a funny little twirl. Kili smiled at me, and I smiled right back.

'That was...unexpected,' said Bilbo, plopping into an armchair in the great sitting room. Too big, really. It could have passed for a small hall. 'I didn't expect them to welcome us so...' He searched for a word.

'Gladly?' supplied Balin, smiling. 'They're glad indeed that the King as returned,' he looked pointedly to Thorin, who gazed around the house that we had been supplied with. 'They have been generous indeed'.

'I'm going to find a bed,' said Bombur. 'And I am going to sleep in it'. With that, he waddled in the general direction of the stairs which lay at the opposite end of the hall, next to a room that I had presumed to be the kitchen.

'I'm going to see if they have any more chicken,' said Ori, sharing a looking with his brothers who both nodded in agreement, their still damp boots going for the side room.

We were all soon exploring the house and standing back awkwardly as gifts were pushed into the living room by maids sent by the Master. Armour, swords, bows, arrows, dresses, food, shoes, flowers - all for us, all in the right size for Dwarves and Hobbits. Only thing was, the Dwarves only took what they _needed_ from the presents. Coats were taken, as were the weapons, but the rest was left.

I took the dresses (I had guessed that they were for me. I mean, imagine Thorin in a dress), a pair of boots, breeches, a shirt and coat before backing into the chest of Kili and blinking up at him. The rest were in their rooms sleeping, or eating in the kitchen. Bilbo sat in his armchair, reading one of the books from the bookshelf and Thorin watched him, half asleep already.

It all seemed too...domestic. I almost didn't like it.

'Come on,' said Kili, taking the three dresses and the boots from my arms. 'We'll go find you a room'. With that, he turned on his heel and started across the room to the stairs. I slung my bag over my shoulders and followed him, very aware of my tangled hair, my dirty dress, my bra-less state and Thorin's dark eyes following us out of the room.

'There are five rooms on this floor,' said Kili, reaching the second landing. 'And on the third floor. Nori, Dori and Ori will share the room with a small and large bed, and Bofur and Bombur will share the other room. Fili, Thorin, Bilbo, you and I are on the third floor,' explained Kili, slightly more formal than usual. I chose to ignore this until we reached some privacy.

We started up the next set of wooden stairs and I'd asked, 'I take it these are the nicer rooms? - you know what I _mean. _You, Thorin and Fili are _gonna _get the nicest rooms, I'm a woman meaning I'm just _given _nice things-' I said this with an air of distant displeasure '- and Bilbo's the hero, meaning you guys want to thank him in any way that you can'.

Kili glanced over his shoulder, nodding. 'That's very true'.

I'd bit back a sigh. _Fine then._

The third floor was much like the second. A large landing with doors on opposing walls, all leading into the separate bedrooms. Kili pointed to two on one wall, stating those were his and Fili's rooms, then to two on the other, which were mine and Bilbo's. The one standing on a lone wall was to be Thorin's. The moment we stepped into my room, I liked it infinitely better than I had liked the Elven prison.

It was all wood. Wooden wardrobe, wooden dresser, wooden bed, wooden beside table, wooden door, wooden floor, wooden walls. There was a door to the side of the room that turned out to be bathroom (I hadn't had to share with fourteen men, yay!) and candles dotted about that I could light at night.

I dumped Snowthorn and the clothes that Kili had not taken onto the bed. He did the same with the bundle in his arms, stood awkwardly for a second, and then started for the door.

'Seriously?' I said, tilting my head at him. 'The _one _private moment that we have, and you want to leave?'

His dark eyes were on me, his brown hair dangling around his hard face. God, he was beautiful. Corny as it sounds, I couldn't imagine finding _anyone _more lovely looking than Kili.

'You're being off with me, Kili,' I half moaned, uncrossing my arms. 'I don't want that. I didn't tell you all that - in the barrel - for you to just go ahead and get all awkward with me. If you don't feel the same, if you- you fancy that _Elf, _then okay. But you could at least _tell_ me. I'm not a child. I mean, heck-' he started forward, the door still open and I had stepped back. The back of my legs hit the bed frame in my surprise. 'What-?'

And then he was taking my face in his rough hands, dipping his face close to mine and grinning, breathing out a quick laugh. 'You _need_ to learn to stop talking, Alexandria'.

And then he was kissing me, and it was better than I had ever hoped. There weren't fireworks, there were freakin' nuclear bombs going off behind my eyelids. I don't know how to describe kissing Kili without making it sound like every other kiss, but it wasn't. It was something special, something that can only be thought and not written. It was teeth and tongue and _Kili_, his hands on my cheeks and mine pinching at the material of his shirt.

It was was how it _should _have been. I wasn't wearing a something beautiful - I was in a simple, white dress that was covered in dirt and still half damp. My hair was tangled and dry, I had a flower pushed behind one ear and my feet were bare. He wore his blue cotton shirt, his sword, his hair down, his dirty hands on my cheeks and yet. And _yet._

It was flaming fantastic.

I pulled back first, fighting the toothy grin that burst onto my face. My cheeks were aflame with how much I had gotten _into_ the kiss and all I could think was _final-_

'Finally!' sighed a voice heavily behind us rather dramatically. Kili's dark eyes, which gazed into mine, grew slightly wider and he whirled around, hands dropping from my face and onto my wrist.

There stood Fili, hands on his hips and a large smile beneath his braided mustache. 'Do you know how long I have waited for this?' And then he turned around and bellowed. 'DORI, YOU OWE ME A GOLD PIECE!'

My mouth fell open in amusement. Kili bowed his head.

Dori answered after a moment of silence. 'NO?' he asked in disbelief.

_'_YES!_' _replied Fili with glee, suddenly darting for the stairs. I-I almost thought he had been _joking _when he'd said that the rest of the Dwarves had been making bets-

_'NO?_' said Nori, now joining in and sounding like a gossiping, middle-aged woman.

'He told me that they'd been making bets, after we left Rivendell,' I told Kili, who turned to face me once more. 'I thought he'd been half _joking_'. Still, I could help but snort and shake my head. 'You two are _so _related'.

I considered his still bashful face and shrugged yanking him in for another kiss. I'd waited too long to waste a moment _not _kissing his pretty ol' face. 'Sorry,' I'd chirped, patting his cheek and smiling with him. 'I've been wanting to kiss you for a while'.

'Oh,' said Kili, mouth stretching into his cheeky smile. 'You _have_?'

'You _know _I have. Heck, could it have _taken _us any longer to get around to snogging each other?'

Kili rolled his eyes and put his arms around my waist, locking his hands behind my back. 'You have me blushing with your romantic words, Lady Millie. Please, _stop_,' he deadpanned.

My cheeks rounded in a happy smile. I then caught him with a serious look. 'Are you going to ask me then?'

Kili's grin faltered. '...Ask you what?' he inquired quickly.

'I'm not going to go around kissing you unless we label it, my pretty little Dwarf. What do you guys call it here..._courting? _Yeah, _that_'. I stared at him. 'I'm not joking. Unless you want to go around kissing other _Elves_'. It had been the only way that I could slip the subject into conversation, okay?

'Millie,' sighed Kili. 'Tau- the She-Elf was _pretty, _that's _it. _You are something else entirely, I can promise you that. You must...understand though. When Dwarves take someone, it is for _life. _It's our way of approaching courtships, do you understand?'

'Of course I understand, you doofus'.

The grin was back, and the reality hit me with suddenness. This was the moment, the moment in which it would be sealed. Where he went, I would go. Where I went, he would go. I would, one day, marry Kili and have his children. Heirs. Until then, and it could happen in a hundred years, we would rebuild Erebor, should we reclaim it. I was home, with him.

I was nineteen and, somehow, I'd found what others spent years looking for.

'Then, Alexandria Millicent Fournier, you should know that Dwarven courtships are not so much the same as the courtships of Men. I do not _ask _you, I _show _you. Just as _you _show _me'. _He then stepped forward and brushed his hands through my knotty hair, causing me to yelp as his fingers yanked out the knots. 'Love is pain, Millie,' he reminded me, biting back a smile. Carefully, he took the flower from behind my ear and tucked it into his pocket.

'What are you _doing__?' _I wailed, wincing.

'Shush,' said Kili, kicking the door closed. 'They'll know not to disturb us now, not when they know that we are starting a courtship, as you call it. Fili will have warned them'.

I froze. 'What _are _we going to do?'

Kili paused and looked down at me to press his nose against mine and nudge forward to kiss me once. 'When two Dwarves enter a courtship, they will exchange various handmade gifts. First though, when the courtship has first started, they will give each other one, simple braid toward the back of the hair to show that they are taken by another. This braid can be used for marriage, as well. Since many Dwarves do not marry, not many have this braid'.

'...I'm getting my braid?'

'I'm _giving _you your braid'.

We sat on the edge of the bed when he gave me my first braid. As a Dwarf, I have learnt over the years how important braiding is, and how braids can mean different things. A braid between two is a strong braid, though. One which is shared, and is never taken out unless needed. It is often re-braided in the same place, by the same hands.

'Your hair is a _mess,' _said Kili, and I'd had to jolt my eyes open to stop myself from falling asleep. I'd always had a thing for people playing with my hair, and the feel of his fingers had been sending me to sleep. _Jesus Millie, of all the moments you could fall asleep_. 'There we go. I'm going to give you your braid now'.

I crossed my legs and moved further onto the bed while he sat beside me, one legs crossed and the other kicked out in front of him, his toes on my knee. I looked at him while he concentrated on the three separate section of hair, expertly twisting and interlocking the strands. He would sometimes pause to fiddle with his shirt, taking away some blue cotton and then go back to braiding my hair. It was hard to believe that once I had not known he had existed. I hadn't believed that anything like him _could _exist.

I think the reason that we settled into our courtship without awkwardness was because we'd had so much time to _know _how the other felt, despite the fact that we took so long to voice it.

And there we were, braiding each others hair. What _would _my mother say.

Kili paused and asked me to hold the end of the braid, more serious than I had ever seen him. I did as I was told, reaching behind to carefully take my hair between my thumb and index finger. He fumbled with his shirt for a moment, before taking away from the fraying seam a strand of cotton. Smiling bashfully, he then went about taking the braid and tying the cotton around the end in a tight knot.

'There we go,' he said, leaning back and placing his hands on his legs. I peered at him as I felt for the larger than small braid, it was soft and tight and in it I could feel the blue cotton weaved in. Pausing, he reached to find the flower and put it back behind my hair with a goofy smile.

'Perfect,' I told him, and I meant it. 'I'm too nervous to do yours now'. It had felt so...intimate when he had done it, what if I couldn't create the same feeling for him?

Kili smiled and didn't even try to be romantic or reassuring about it. 'Don't tell me I did yours for _nothing_,' he scoffed.

I sent him a hard look but smiled along with him. Crawling onto my knees I then knelt before him, considering his dark features.

Stomach going all funny, I half sat on one of his legs, reaching around to gather the three sections of his dark hair. He seemed a little taken aback by my closeness to him, but I'd just shrugged at his wide eyed look, smiling. My braid was no where near as good as his. Still, I did it as neatly as I could, but I didn't even _try _to add any materials. I did, though, tie it with a strand from my my white dress.

'Well,' I told him, leaning back. 'Mine is horrendous compared to yours, but hey ho'.

We kind of...sat there, then. Myself still half sitting on him, and Kili fingering his braid. 'This is it now, huh?'

'And you're happy with that?' inquired Kili, his hand finding mine and interlocking our fingers. He had pressed his lips to my hand, and I would have found it cheesy had it been anyone else. 'A lot will come with being with me, Millie. You are _sure _it is me that you want? The only reason that I am to find a mate is because I am an Heir, and because of that I must produce Heirs. But I _want _to be with you, and I never thought that would happen. I don't even have a _beard, _Millie. Women _laugh _at me'.

And here he was. Kili; insecure, his past fears out. He wasn't like other Dwarves, he was neither big, nor burly. He hadn't seen much battle, he was still seen as young. He thought his future of finding a wife would be one big chore. _But I want to be with you. _It scared me, of course. It had relied on both of us to carry on the Line of Durin. But with him, I guess I had thought that I could do it. That I could be brave enough.

'Then they are _morons, _Kili,' I told him bluntly.

And he had smiled against my hand.

* * *

**I did it. I actually did it. It's not going to be lovey dovey though, I mean, there's still a story. I'm not going to dramatize their romance, nor will I make it all about the fact that they are together now. It won't be boring now that they **_**are **_**together, I _hate _it when authors do that. I hope you liked it, though. It was how I always imagined them finally confessing, with the braiding and all.**

**Thank you for the reviews and the support!**

**Okay I need to sleep now bye.**


	25. The Definition of Awkward

And things had been going so _well._

I say this, dear reader, simply because shit well and truly decided to hit the make believe fan that day. Heck, I could have _used _a fan that day. The idea that there was _no way _of cooling yourself down in Middle Earth, other than jumping into a pond _still_ depresses me.

Anyway, on with how I found myself at the receiving end of one of Thorin's angry tirades, and how the words, 'Well, it's not like I haven't done it _before', _sent the Dwarf - and I mean _The Dwarf - _into a kind of shocked, spasm of a silence.

Ugh. You'll find out.

On with the painfully awkward story.

* * *

The day (what was left of it after travelling in barrels, arriving in Laketown and then proclaiming my undying and _passionate _love for a guy) had nearly ended, and I was pretty darn tired after all of my escapes. Mainly, awkwardly walking downstairs to meet the knowing, swanky little Dwarven smiles that had welcomed me.

Even Bilbo had on that smile that so blatantly said _knew it._

After Thorin gave me a little nod (he'd already given me _the talk,_ back at Beorn's), Kili went about throwing his arm around my shoulders and making me feel even more in the spotlight. After around ten minutes, though, Thorin had said that he needed to go and see the Master of Laketown to discuss something along the lines of transport to the mountain.

He had then assured us that we would not be leaving _yet._

Thankfully.

This, of course, only turned out to be an excuse for the _entirety _of the company (minus Bilbo and I) to go to the local pub, somewhere called _The Gulping Gull. _Famous for its fish flavored ale, I'll have you know. Dori had said it had tasted like, well..._fish, _and not in a pleasant way, either.

'Are you sure you don't mind?' Kili had asked, as the others had yanked on boots and assured Bilbo that he was more than welcome. He was one of them, anyway.

'I'm not invited anyway,' I told him, though not unkindly. 'It's a lads thing, though don't expect me to _not _go and get blindingly drunk while we're here. I wanna have a taste of some proper, Middle Earth ale'. Kili huffed out a laugh as we stood in the large living room, his hand ind of brushing against mine, half holding and half stroking.

'Although,' I added, seeing the dirt on his face and brittleness of his hair. 'You've gotta have a bath once you get back, dude. You _smell, _my dear. Kili, _go. _You've worked so hard so far, you guys _deserve _to get wasted. We'll _talk _later'.

'Wasted', apparently, was a word that he had understood. A smile stretched across his stubble ridden face and his hand pulled me in for a kiss, making sure to capture the attention of _everyone _in the room.

'They'll never stop, now that they've finally entered the bleedin' courtship,' said Gloin, almost knowingly. '_Youngsters_,' he had muttered, and Balin gave a funny little chuckle and whacked the red haired man around the back. 'Oi!'

'Like _you _were never young,' said Balin in return, waving Gloin and Oin out of the door. 'Goodbye Bilbo, Millie. If Thorin returns before us, be sure to tell him where we have ventured off to!'

'Yes, yes,' said Bilbo, very keen to get them out. I'd seen him eyeing the mess they'd already begun to leave, his domestic side kicking in. Kili fingered my braid before pulling himself away from me, adjusting his coat and taking one step backwards.

'You don't exactly smell of flowers either, you know,' he had informed me, before pushing slyly past Bofur, who gave a great snort before closing the wooden door behind them.

'Oh!' I grumbled. 'The _nerve-'_

After that, they'd come back near dark while I was closed up in my room, having been swept away by Bilbo as he cleaned away the dried dirt and dirty dishes (how we'd made so much mess after _one day, _I'll never know). The first thing that I'd heard was singing outside my window, and then the door bashing open and then more singing.

My Lord, had they been _drunk._

'_Drink another ale, oh, drink it while you sleep-'_

After hopping downstairs with my hair wet (yes, I'd bathed), I saw that they had all poured into the sitting room, Thorin with them. Bilbo had been sitting on the sofa reading, and looked physically pained at the sudden mess that they were creating. Me? I'd just laughed at them, gripping the banister and watching Oin support Gloin.

'We Dwarves,' slurred Gloin. 'Can hold our _drink-'_

It was kinda nice to _not _be the drunk one for once, actually. I said this aloud and Fili spread his arms, one over his brothers shoulder and the other holding an ale that I'm still pretty sure he'd stolen from the pub.

'One day,' he said, blue eyes boring into mine (though, they had been slightly cross eyed). 'We will have a drinking_-,' _he suppressed a hiccup '-_game. _We will then see who- Master _Baggins!'_

His attention was then diverted to the horrified looking Bilbo, who was attacked by a mass of blonde hair and braids, holding his book to his chest. Even Thorin looked vaguely sympathetic. Perhaps he'd been _used _to his nephews drunken shenanigans. I watched Fili for a moment, as he continued to inquire (slur) as to what Bilbo was reading and if it was _any _good.

Better than me. Last time I got proper drunk, I convinced my friend that I was bottle of beer and that spilling me would result in my untimely death. Or _she'd _said that to _me. _I can't remember.

The Dwarves began to look for food and more ale, deciding that the kitchen was a better place to drink more and to talk and laugh and sing. I thought about joining them, but had decided against it. I was tired, I was pretty sure the barrel incident was giving me a cold and, on top of that, I was about eighty-nine percent sure that I was going to jump Kili, should he take his jacket off like that-

Which is precisely what he was doing, while walking toward me- Dear Lord, it was like an advert for some male perfume that Brad Pitt would appear in and say words like 'mystical' and 'sensual' while stripping out of his tuxedo-

'Hello'.

He was all lazy grins and cloudy eyes, his feet leading him to the foot of the stairs. His leather coat hung loosely in his hand and I could smell the tobacco and ale from where I stood.

'You going to bed?' I'd inquired.

He nodded. Between us, there was that unsaid _thing. _There was no way of him asking _are you going to join me? _without wondering if I would take it the wrong way or accuse him of, I don't know, insulting my _virtue _or whatever. I wouldn't, of course. We'd shared sleeping spaces while we'd camped more times that I can count.

Guys in Middle Earth just didn't ask girls that kind of thing, I guess.

'Go for a bath,' I'd ordered, reaching down to poke his nose and smile, _seeing _his drunkenness despite how he had tried to stand tall and focus his gaze. Kili, despite his best efforts, acted like as much of a _youngster _as I did at times. Goofy, lovely little thing that he was.

I turned away from him and started for my room, aware of him staring and aware of my still wet hair and the fact that he was _there _and _mine _and that he was walking up the stairs behind me, annoyingly quiet and _breathing _and-

'As you wish, Milady'.

Who even _says _things like that? _Seriously_.

Two flights of stairs later, I was turning to give him what I had hoped was a sly little smile and shut my door just as he had shut his. I mean, it was _him _who had started the whole _staring _thing - I'd just gone along with it.

Doofus.

I hadn't been sure what I would wear to bed, honestly. Shi had taken my clothes to wash them, back in Mirkwood, but due to my abrupt departure I'd never been able to retrieve my things again. I almost missed my shirt. It'd been a little part of home. A little part of Earth, of England.

But I couldn't think of that.

Instead, I'd opted for realizing that I had _nothing _to sleep in, aside from breeches and a shirt which I would be wearing once we left for the Lonely Mountain. Other than that, there had just been dresses. Bloody dresses.

So, stealing clothes off of Kili it _was._

Upon opening my door, I could _still _hear the roaring of laughter, the clattering of dishes, the internal screaming of Bilbo as Fili probably spilled some drink onto the Hobbit. Snort. I was very aware of the fact that it was only Kili and I up two flights of stairs and that I was asking to _borrow some of his clothes _and oh my Lord, it was all so cliche, wasn't it?

How do you even _ask? 'Can I borrow a shirt...and some pants?' _or '_You know where those clothes would look amazing? On _me'.

How did I bag him again? What he saw in me I will _never _know.

Three nervous little knocks on the door later and he was answering with a tired sounding, 'Yes?' Which, you know, means come in and tell me what you want, doesn't it? Back me up here, you're meant to poke your head in and talk to the person, not stand outside the _door_ and tell them what's up.

Still, opening the door to his _yes _had gotten be a free shot of Kili's bangin' bod in all of it's magnificence. I guess the first time I saw him naked, though, I hadn't wanted there to be a look of horror on his face, nor see him yanking a towel to cover his manly parts. Wipe away the steam on you glasses guys, I hadn't _seen _anything.

I'd just kind of...squeaked out a laugh and snorted at the same time.

'Millie!'

'You said- you said _yes!' _I'd yelped at him, asserting all of the blame onto his _fine _little a- '_Yes_ means _come in_ and oh my God you're naked. I should-' And then I had promptly slammed the door to his '_why are you still talking?' _look.

I hadn't been scandalized or anything, just more... embarrassed. I always seemed to get myself into these horrible situations in which others couldn't _quite _believe how, well, _embarrassing _I was. But hell, despite my pink face and my clenched fists, I couldn't _quite _get the inviting image of Kili, covered only by a towel, out of my mind.

I'd stood there for perhaps thirty seconds, going over every single apology or excuse that I could. Flipping heck, how could someone do so many stupid little things in only one lifetime?

'Millie'.

I smiled to myself in a manner that said 'perhaps _that's _the way he welcomes you to open the door, not with a _yes'. _Still, I had opened the door with a bowed head, and then looked up a little sheepishly when he coughed.

'Only _you,' _he'd sighed, and then cocked an eyebrow. 'Is there something that you had wanted?'

Still smiling, I stepped further into his room. '...Yeah. Can I borrow some clothes? I'm all out and-' I coughed back a laugh. 'Sorry. I have the image of your horrified face still imprinted into my mind'.

Kili, now wearing a loose shirt and some trousers, just turned away to throw his towel into the washroom. 'I was not _horrified,' _he shot back, his hair wet and his shirt blotched damp in places where he had not dried himself entirely. 'I was merely _surprised _to see you standing in the doorway while I dried myself'.

_Say something appropriate. _'I can see where all the hair for your beard went,' I joked awkwardly. My face then melted into a look of frozen disaster as Kili's own mouth quirked into a disbelieving smile. 'No!' I'd yelped, holding up my hands. 'No, no. I meant your _chest. _You have a hairy _chest - _oh _my_ God-'

Kili approached me, my head buried into my hands. Carefully, he pried my hands away and looked at me, dark eyes amused and mouth set into a forced, straight line. 'And_ this _is precisely why I have entered a courtship with you and _only ever _you,' he said. I blinked at him, cheeks burning and heart hammering. 'No one could ever _quite _make me laugh as much as you do'.

My mouth bent into an embarrassed smile. 'You think?'

'Now and always'.

We didn't kiss or anything after that, not like most do after those cheesy 'always' speeches. We hugged though, and I think that was what we both needed. I still doubt that Kili would have said something so romantic, had he been entirely sober.

'Ale turns you into a right Master of Wooing, doesn't it?'

'Don't ruin the moment, Millie,' he'd said into my hair, though I could feel his mouth curve and his breath huff into a small laugh. My hands linked around his waist, and his around mine. It was nice, to just settle into this comfortable position, the Dwarven singing as our background music.

'Gotcha'.

In the end, he handed me a shirt and trousers that had been given to him in the bundle of gifts from the people of Laketown. As I changed in the washroom, the floor still wet from his bath, he told me of how half of the town had joined them in _The Gulping Gull _and how none of the Dwarves had to buy a drink for themselves the whole night.

'Thorin didn't drink at all, though,' he said, just as I tied the string of the breeches. 'He seems to think that if he gets drunk, the Master will try and get him to promise some of the gold'.

'From the Mountain?'

'Yes'.

I'd frowned to myself, unsure. 'Would that be so bad? I mean, it sounds like there's a load of money that Smaug is guarding, and it seems proper for us to repay Laketown _somehow'. _I opened the door and stepped forward, dropping my dress at the foot of the bed. To see Kili already cross legged in the bed, covers thrown back had given me an odd, happy feeling.

Like a little insight into the future, maybe.

Kili glanced up, away from the sword he was inspecting. 'Fili and I don't have the heart to tell Uncle that'. I crawled onto the bed, listening to him. Once I was sitting beside him, soft covers drawn in, he carried on, 'He's seemed especially...withdrawn since arriving here. I think the thought of reclaiming Erebor has made him really think about what he will be taking back'.

Kili shook his head, aware of what he was talking about and placed his sword on the floor, next to the bed.

Taking the hint, I had changed the subject. Burrowing into the covers and placing my hands beneath my head, I had looked up at him. 'Do you think your mum - mother - will like me, Kili?'

He'd been staring at the wall, but upon hearing my question he had looked down at me. 'Yes,' he'd said simply. 'My mother is very much like her brother in the fact that she is very stubborn and very strong willed, but she is also very keen to have Fili and I be happy, above all else. So,' he shuffled, glancing away, cheeks dusted. 'Well, because of that I think that she will like you'.

I'd smiled, but did not tease him. 'What did Thorin say, when you told him about our courtship?'

Kili rested his elbows on his knees and blew a strand of wet hair away from his face. 'He approved, though stressed the fact that I should not let you distract me on the quest. Other than that, he seemed to be quite pleased that the Line was secure in me - as he said - _of all people'._

_The Line was secure._ 'Yeah,' I murmured. 'He probably had a while to get used to the idea. What about Fili?'

Kili smiled and looked down at me. 'I think you can guess'.

'I don't know _why _I asked'. A pause. 'Is it entirely appropriate for us to be sharing a bed, especially since you're a Prince? Or don't Dwarven traditions, or whatever, care about that kind of thing since we've already vowed that we're gonna get married anyway?'

Kili gave me a mild look. 'Oh no,' he assured me. 'They do care. It's highly inappropriate to share a bed before marriage, but that never stopped Fili, nor any of the other Dwarves-'

'There are some things that I really do _not _need to know, dude'.

He grinned. 'My apologies'. Finally, he settled down beside me, facing me with his foot just touching mine and his hand resting near my collarbone. 'Dwalin mentioned that he will get back into combat training tomorrow, with you. I think many of the others will join you in the garden of the house, since we all need to grow used to our new weapons'.

'Sounds good,' I'd lied. The amount of _cannot be arsed _that was supplied at that moment is truly phenomenal. 'Can I, like, _cuddle _you...or is that too 'inappropriate'?'

Kili looked like he was a resisting a smile, but in the end just let the toothy grin out. 'You may cuddle me, yes'. With that, he had shifted onto his back, held out an arm and let my head rest on his very inviting and nice smelling chest.

'You smell _so _much better'.

'As do you'.

A quiet smile was shared. 'Mind story-telling me to sleep?'

'Not at all'.

* * *

I'd dreamed of funny little things, like water and voices and roads and _voices _and barrels and _shouting. _In the deep, murkiness of sleep I could hear a loud voice, but perhaps the voice seemed to go on for longer than it actually _had. _Still, I was awoken by the thing I had slept on jerking upright and my head flopping into the mattress.

_Who dares to awake me from my slumber?_

As it turns out, it was Thorin. He stood in the doorway, eye twitching and hand half pointing to something on the floor. I supported myself with my hand and nodded to him, rubbing away my sleepiness.

'Alright, Grumpy?'

Thorin narrowed his eyes and Kili just grunted with worry behind me. 'Do you realize how _inappropriate _this is, Kili?'

'Huh-? _Oh'._

'Uncle,' Kili stressed, fighting a yawn. 'Nothing _happened_. Millie merely slept in here last night and we spoke-'

Thorin held a hand to his forehead, already clothed in his coat and boots and sword. 'That may be, Kili. Still, it is not proper for royalty to share a bed with his courted when they are not yet _married'._

'We shared, er, _ground _all the time when we were travelling!' I defended, only to have Kili press his hand against my back. 'What difference does it make if we share a bed?'

'Because the first thing that I saw upon walking in here was a discarded dress!' snapped back Thorin.

'Oh - _look_!' I'd yelped, throwing back the covers. 'I changed into some of Kili's clothes because I didn't have any of my own, _jeez'. _Thorin looked even more scandalized at my action, and Kili just pressed his hand even harder.

'Millie,' said Thorin darkly. 'Do not make me change my mind about you courting my nephew'.

I slid ungracefully off of the bed and onto my bare feet, pointing a finger at him. 'Oh, as if I would _listen, _your _Majesty'. _Perhaps it had been the fact that I had been half asleep, or maybe because I was embarrassed - any of these options could have caused me to act so...irrationally. I guess, still, I could not comprehend how sharing a bed could cause such a reaction from Thorin.

'Sharing a bed between a man and a woman is meant for marriage, girl!'

And then the words came spilling out of mouth, as if they were a _reasonable _defense. 'Well, it's not like I've never done it before!' Still, I could have gone on some tirade about how a man and a man or a woman and a _woman _could have shared a bed, too. Something told me that if Thorin was having a bitch fit over just Kili and I sharing a bed, he wouldn't of taken kindly to my modern ideologies.

And then, in my panic, I had slammed the door in Thorin's face. Leaning against it, I waited until I heard angry footsteps before glancing up at Kili's frozen, horror-stuck face.

'I do not think I have seen someone shout at my Uncle like that since he told my mother that Fili and I would be accompanying him on the quest,' he said, climbing slowly off of the bed. 'Millie-'

I held up a hand. 'Yes, okay? I'm not a virgin, haven't been since I was seventeen. But Kili, you have to understand that it's _different _where I'm from. It's more socially acceptable and a lot of people don't even bother getting married at all, anymore. Please understand-'

'I don't,' Kili said, cutting me off. My stomach gave a horrible twist. 'I don't suppose I will ever understand how your own world works, but I...understand that you are not like many women that I have met, Millie. I understand that you have done things that would not be acceptable among my people, nor think things that I will ever be able to comprehend. When entering a courtship with you I took those facts into consideration and I promised that, despite anything I may find out about you, I will _always_ understand'.

'How are you so bloody _perfect?' _I near wailed, shoulders relaxing. 'Jesus, I don't-' I threw my hands up, speechless.

Kili just stood before me and smiled toothily, though I could see the worry beneath the look. 'Above anything, I am simply disheartened that it was not me that you shared a moment like that with'.

I looked at his dark hair, his tanned skin, his itchy stubble and his almost green eyes and thought _yeah, this is someone I could spend the rest of my life with. Or die alongside. Either way._

He was something that I had not encountered before. He spoke differently, acted gallantly, thought that dying for something like reclaiming his home was the highest honor. He was, perhaps, my own version of a fairy tale Knight. He teased me, treated me like an equal, laughed at my jokes, hardly washed, drank like a fish, ate like a pig. He understood things, tried to pry into my foreign little mind and understand what made Millie Fournier.

And yet, he was quite possibly the reason I hadn't yet lost my mind.

* * *

**I think that we needed a chapter dedicated to their new-found relationship and, yes, Millie's past 'lovers'. I try to make this story as realistic as I can, and in this chapter I shoved in some of those realistic attributes. Firstly, Millie's virginity.**

**No, she isn't a virgin. If people don't necessarily agree with that then I understand, seriously. For some, sex before marriage is something that they don't agree with, but please don't see Millie as less of a character because of her choices (that I made). It just seemed to fit with Millie's character that she would have already had sex. **

**And then, Kili's reaction. I made it clear that no, he does not understand, but he is willing to accept it. His 'I am simply disheartened that it was not me that you shared a moment like that with' comment was so cheesy but omg I could not resist him saying something like that. **

**Thorin's reaction was something that I thought over. We all know what he has a short temper, so I thought that mixed with his old, Dwarven ideas would create this. If you're a little skeptical, don't worry, I was too but I am writing a conversation between him and Millie in the next chapter. I'm quite excited for this conversation, and you should be too.**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, much love, my lovelies!**

**Feedback would be much appreciated. I'm having a 'bleh' week so if some things are a little off, tell me and I shall revise them. Thank you!**


	26. Hands and Calves

**This chapter goes out to a friend of mine who's having a pretty tough time. Kilismaiden, this one goes out to you, my lovely.**

* * *

'Millie, I promised Fili that I would practice with him today. We need to test out our new weapons given to us by the Master. May I _please-?'_

'No,' I replied immediately, ear pressed against the door. 'We're not going down there for at _least _another hour. Jesus, what was I thinking, talking Thorin like that? The guy's, like, _permanently _menstrual. He's probably setting up a load of booby traps to seek his revenge on me-'

'_Millie_,' Kili practically moaned, beating at the mattress with his palms. He had been sitting on the edge of the bed, still in his sleeping clothes. After our heart-to-heart, I had begun freaking out at the fact that most of the company had probably heard my tirade with Thorin - heard something _entirely _inappropriate that I had shouted at him.

'Kili, I want you to be brutally honest with me right now,' I'd informed him, fiddling with the end of my long sleeved shirt and pulling away from the door. 'Do you think they heard what I said to Thorin?' I faced him full on.

Kili stalled, an odd croak coming from his mouth.

I'd wailed.

'Firstly I get caught in bed with a _Prince_, to which they _then_ hear _Thorin_ shouting at me about. _Then _I inform all of bloody Laketown that I'm not, I don't know…_pure!' _I'd buried my hands in my hair, becoming even more mortified at the fact that I'd verbally battled with Thorin with _bed head._

Kili stood up, apparently having had enough of my wailing and pink faced mortification. 'I think that you should just go and talk to Thorin,' he had told me, standing in front of me as I had leaned against the door, blowing a strand of hair from my face in frustration. With his face so close to mine, I had time to spy out every trace of stubble

I sent him a dry look. 'That would involve facing the _rest_ of them. Will they, like...care?' I added nervously, chewing my lip and peering at him.

Kili kind of swayed from side to side on his heels, mouth half open. '…They will think it _odd'._

'Fant_astic'_. I took a quick look in his direction and said a, 'We are _so _not sharing a bed until we're married. I can't be doing with protective Uncle Thorin at my heels everyday'.

_Until we're married._

Kili grinned brightly and took my face in his hands. 'I haven't even _asked _you yet,' he had pointed out, tipping his head to keep it at height with mine.

'I know you haven't,' I said, momentarily forgetting about my troubles and woes. Kissing Kili quickly on the mouth, I pulled away. 'And I'm expecting a freakin' _amazing _proposal, _just_ so you know. Fireworks, my name spelled out in the stars, Fili singing _My Heart Will Go On_ – but nothing _too _fancy, of course,' I added.

'Of course,' replied Kili, the picture of seriousness. He let go of my face, but did not move away.

There was a pause in which I plopped the back of my head against the wooden door, hands tugging at the loose material of Kili's shirt. 'I should go and talk to him. Clear things up, shouldn't I?' I met his gaze.

'You should'.

I pouted and pushed him gently away from me. 'It's your fault for having such an overprotective Uncle. He's probably worried that I'll destroy his ickle nephews innocence'. I snorted at the dirty look that Kili sent my way, instead ducking, cracking open the door and winking at him before slipping through the wooden frame.

Only to come face to face with Thorin himself.

Cue minor heart attack and tripping over my own feet. 'Jesus, Mary and-' I'd heaved a great sigh, clutching at my shirt. 'Have you been there the _whole _time?'

Thorin considered me with a level look, his eyes scanning over my sleeping clothes (_Kili's _clothes – cringe) and finally resting on my frozen expression. 'I've been waiting for you to come and find me. I did not think that you would want to wade through a company of Dwarves to acquire my attention'.

_Huh, how considerate. '_Well, yeah. Cheers'.

'Come. I wish to talk with you, Millie,' said Thorin, jutting his chin in the direction of my own room. Without waiting for a reply, the King Under the Mountain started for my open doorway, his boots creaking against the wooden floorboards.

I had been, quite bluntly, _shitting _myself.

Upon entering my room, I half pushed the door closed, keen to keep it open in case a hasty escape was needed. Thorin stood at the foot of my made bed, hands clasped behind his back while I lingered in front of him, shifting from foot to foot.

Awkward.

'…_So-'_

'Kili's intentions with you are clear, I know that,' started Thorin, half raising his hand to silence me. 'I have spoken to you once about these matters, and I know that upon reclaiming Erebor you will continue to court my nephew until he turns ninety – this is the usual age of marriage for those of my kind'.

_That's not the idea that Kili seems to have, but okay. _Despite this, I had almost felt _relieved _at the idea that I would not be marrying Kili the moment that the reclaiming of Erebor was done and dusted. I mean, I wasn't even twenty yet (two months, _ahem) _and before meeting Kili...well, the idea of having kids and marrying someone had been the last thing on my mind. I had wanted to see the world first, to move out of my parents house and establish a career for myself.

Then along came Middle Earth: the greatest adventure of them all. And along came Kili, Erebor, the Dwarves, a life set out in front of me-

'And until you are bound my marriage, I do not see it fit for the two of you to share a bed-' carried on Thorin, his tone darkening at the conversation matter. 'Or at least not while _I _have knowledge of it, nor any others'.

Huh. Alright then.

'_Look_,' I cut across him, momentarily withering at his hard look. 'Er, sorry. I _know _that we shouldn't have – I guess it just didn't seem like that much of a big _deal_ after sleeping next to each other for so many nights, you know? And…about what I said to you earlier-'

Once again, Thorin held up his hand. 'I will not try to understand the way in which your mysterious homeland works, but sharing such facts about yourself with my kin will only result in your own reputation being ruined – something that Kili would not take kindly to, nor myself nor any other Dwarf in this company. Millie, it is _vital _that you understand that'.

My cheeks pink and my stomach churning, I rushed out with, 'I know, I know! I shouldn't have _told _you that. Just…please don't think any less of me, yeah? It's something that is more accepted where I'm from, I promise.'

Thorin stare softened, but only slightly. 'I will admit that I was not expecting such an outburst from a she-Dwarf as young as you are, but I will not pry. But Millie, Kili is my kin, my sister's son. Tarnishing your reputation would only result in tarnishing his, and already he has grown up with stinging remarks-'

'_What?' _I decided to ignore the idea of 'tarnishing' Kili's reputation, which, in my opinion, was utter B.S.

Thorin jumped at my less than quiet question. 'Well, you may have noticed that Kili's features are…softer than most male Dwarves,' explained the King, his voice lower. 'He would not like me to share his past with you, but many would call him Elf-Kind, and even accuse my sister of-' He cut himself off angrily, shaking his head. 'But they are bitter lies from bitter Dwarves that you do not need to hear'.

'_I don't even have a __beard, __Millie. Women _laugh _at me'._

The sentence rung in my ears. 'He mentioned something about that before,' I'd mumbled, brow furrowed. 'I won't tell anyone, alright?' I said, probably a little too harshly. 'Don't want any tarnishing of reputations, do we?'

'I'm glad,' said Thorin, raising his chin. 'I would appreciate it if, when tell Kili asks of what I have said to you, that you would leave out the-'

'-Part about him being bullied by Dwarf brats? Gotcha'. I paused for a split second, keen on keeping up this conversation of admitting things and calming the air between Thorin and me. 'Remember when we were attacked by the Stone Giants?'

Thorin cast his gaze onto me, wry. 'Vaguely'.

'Then you'll also remember my complete spaz attack at you, when I said that you…' Oh God, it was awkward to even bring it up again. 'Well, I said you weren't my King'. _Just spit it out, Millie. '_I take it back, dude. I'm pretty proud to call you my King or, like, whatever'. I crossed my arms and coughed awkwardly, brushing away some imaginary dust from my arm.

Thorin nodded slowly, a small smile creeping onto his face. 'I deserved the telling off that you gave me, although it did remind me oddly of my sister'. _It's getting kind of weird that people keep comparing me to Fili and Kili's mum._ 'I was unfair to the Hobbit, I did not consider that he was so far from home, and that he only ever wanted to help'.

_Jesus, cue the romantic ballad and the faraway look in Thorin's eyes._

'Well,' I concluded, stepping backwards toward the half open doorway. 'I'm glad we had this little chat, Thorin old pal. It's nice to, er, _clear the air _and all that, you know? Now, I'm gonna go meet the others in the garden before Dwalin claps me over the head for not training with Snowthorn-'

I was almost out of the room when Thorin said, 'I will be very proud to call you family one day, Millie Fournier'. I'd paused for a second at that, not quite believing what I had heard.

Sure, the guy wasn't all that accepting about my private dealings, nor was he happy about the fact that I'd shouted at him in hearing shot of the others. Thorin thought that I was a distraction, no matter how much he had tried to downplay it. The guy would never really get over how different I was from most women he knew. But still, he was _trying._

A little bemused smile found my mouth as I stopped in the doorway, facing him. 'Er, whatever tickles your pickle, dude'. Why, why, _why? _'I mean, _thank you'. _And then I was bounding down the staircase before I could stammer and blush in front of the King even more.

* * *

You want to know what's _exponentially _awkward?

Walking into a garden (if you could really call the wooden ground outside of our Laketown home a _garden)_ where many of my male companions were swinging swords (axes, knives, etc) at each other, aiming arrows at the wooden fencing, leaning against the house or just scoffing loudly when I walked out of the back door, which swung shut loudly behind me.

Dori smacked Nori, who had elbowed Ori pointedly in the side. The thief (yes, I knew of Nori's less than angelic past. I mean, why was _Bilbo _hired as the burglar again?) just bit back a smile at Dori's disapproving look. Ori didn't quite know what to do with himself, aside from trip over the sword that had lain at his booted feet.

'Smooth,' I'd snorted, glad that the other Dwarves had the decency to not look at me. As I made my way over to Kili and Fili in my breeches and shirt, I had noticed Bilbo training with Sting, a very concentrated look on his face. From what I had seen, the Hobbit was overtaking me in the swordplay department.

'How was Thorin?' inquired Kili, lowering his bow and turning his head to face me with his intense gaze and long eyelashes. I'm getting distracted again. A few arrows had protruded from the fence, all bang-on the crudely carved circle that had acted as an aim.

'Aye,' agreed Fili, spinning his sword in his hands and walking a few steps to stand beside his darker haired brother. '_That _must have been a telling off to witness'.

I'd glared at him. 'He wasn't..._impressed, _to say the least-'

'Unsurprisingly,' cut in Fili. 'You two - can't you keep your hands to yourselves?'

'You're not helping,' commented Kili, for once quite serious with his brother. Something told me that Fili was being equally as serious, and embarrassment flooded through me once again. Fili, the playful, wild haired Dwarf also thought that that _sharing a bed _was almost as bad as doing the deed.

I clucked my tongue. 'Ugh, he's _right _though. Let's not talk about it though, okay?' I'd searched for something to say, _anything. '_Has Thorin stopped badgering you two about staying here?'

Fili, if anything, grew even _more _serious. 'He mentioned it once again, while you two were _sleeping'. _The cheeky look was back, thank God. Seriousness hadn't suited him quite so much. He then addressed Kili more than me. 'He's thinking like our family, rather than out leader. We got into quite a heated argument when I outright refused to stay here-'

'_Good,' _stressed Kili. He shook his head and angrily strung his bow, dark eyes level with the tip as he aimed. 'I can't understand how he would _think-' _The arrow hit the dead center of the circle. 'That we would stay here, away from the quest that he _invited _us on!'

'Didn't you guys, like, nag him about it until he said yes?' I'd inquired, eyes lingering on the still quivering arrow that had plunged itself into the wood of the fencing.

'That is the beside the _point_,' said Fili lightly, walking to pull each of Kili's arrows out of the fence. 'Kee, tell Millie what Mister Dwalin said about her, go on,' he'd insisted, grunting as one particularly hard-to-get arrow dislodged itself from the wood.

I looked to Kili, internally smiling at the mention of Fili calling Kili 'Kee'. 'He said that you're getting much better at your swordplay,' Kili told me, and the smile on my face had blown away any traces of worry.

'-But that you need to keep practicing,' cut in the rough, deep voice of Dwalin. The taller Dwarf had approached us and stood a few steps behind me. 'Come on, lass. Unsheathe that Thorn of yours, and let's see how good you've gotten, aye?'

I think that's when I knew how accepted I really was. I mean, you _must _know how bad what I had said to Thorin was. It wasn't classy for a _Lady _to say such a thing to a King. It wasn't expected, nor _accepted. _Yet, there they were, my Dwarven friends, my Dwarven men. Welcoming me to a group that I hadn't ever thought that I could call home.

I grinned at him from over my shoulder. 'Aye,' I'd agreed, the word slipping awkwardly from my English accent. Drawing Snowthorn from my side, I'd glanced over to Kili. 'Wanna fight?'

He'd faltered.

'Oh, _don't _go all soft on me just because we're an 'item', or whatever-'

'You tell him, lass!' boomed Bofur, lounging against a chair with a pipe in his mouth. He'd shielded his eyes from the sun, squinting to Kili's unimpressed face. 'Dwalin here taught you most of what you know, perhaps you can help the lass with her lessons, aye?'

He did, in the end. It was a hard training session to make up for the luxury that we had been living in. Kili made me learn some newer, harder moves, while Dwalin made me go over the easier, older moves. I think that Kili was more concerned with showing me the exciting stuff, but Dwalin had just wanted me to learn the simpler stuff properly.

Throughout the ordeal, I'd overheard Dori, once again, giving Ori a telling off about his slingshot. He had, apparently, been made a new one by Bofur. 'A slingshot isn't going to protect you from Smaug, nor The Defiler!'

'We can only hope that _scum _has lost our scent,' said Fili, swapping pipes with Bofur and Bilbo. The curly haired Hobbit blew a large smoke ring, smiling proudly and raising his eyebrows at the chuckling Bofur. Gloin had been tearing away chunks of bread from a loaf and chucking them between himself, Bilbo and Bifur.

'I wouldn't hope too much'.

Dwalin dropped his sword arm to his side and turned, breathing hard from exertion. Thorin had been standing in the doorway, feet flat against the wooden floor in which the water of Laketown drifted beneath. 'We won't have seen the last of the Pale Orc, I can promise you that,' he carried on. Since Dwalin had turned away from me, I'd plonked onto the ground with my sword clattering beside me, exhausted.

'Where have you been?' asked Balin, one of the few who had carried on sparring, along with Bombur (surprisingly) and Nori.

'I visited the Master of Laketown once again'. The tone in which he spoke suggested his general dislike for the nervous, greedy man. 'He hinted that we are costing him a fortune, and that leaving within a week would be a fine idea. Although I believe that he only wishes this so that we get to our gold quicker, I think he is right'.

'As do I,' agreed Fili, pointedly. Thorin merely looked dejected at his nephews insistence, though I thought that I had spied out some acceptance in his gaze. 'We should get the rest that we need and then make for the Mountain, after the Master has given us ponies and such to travel on. Don't you think?'

'Aye,' said Dwalin.

'When do you think we'll leave - a week then?' I'd asked, wiping away dry sweat from my forehead with the heel of my hand. As Thorin answered my question, I had waggled my fingers up at Kili, who'd bent down to pull me to my feet.

'I...think it best if you did not join us the rest of the way, Millie'.

My head snapped around so fast that I'd nearly topped away from Kili's grasp. Ignoring my...boyfriends (just doesn't sound right, does it?) startled look, I'd blurted out, 'You _what?'_

'It is too dangerous. Much worse than anything that we have faced yet-'

'No'.

I pulled myself away from Kili, very aware of the stares of the rest of the group. I remember hearing the buzz of the people in Laketown, the rush of water, the chirping of birds.

Thorin paused. 'I am King-'

With pursed lips and the sheathing of my sword, I'd replied with, 'No, I understand that you're King. I'm _still_ coming'.

After a pause, Kili had started, 'Millie-'

I could understand why they were doing it. I was a liability. Sure, I could probably kill an Orc better than I once could have, but I wasn't nearly as skilled as the rest of them. They were worried that they would have to protect me, that I would get in the way, that the journey would be too much for me. 'You're not saying this to _Bilbo_, and he's had as much of a sheltered life as I have - no offence,' I added to the Hobbit, who'd just held up a hand and said,

'None taken'.

'There is _literally_ no point in arguing with me. If you guys leave without me, I'll just wait an hour and then follow you. But then that would probably end up with me getting lost and running into some kind of trouble, so it really is easier for you to agree with me and then this whole matter can be forgotten, can't it?'

Sass: On.

'I mean, you can't expect me to miss out on totaling a dragon, can you?' Heck, ever since completing _Skyrim, _killing a dragon had _totally _been on my bucket list. _If I'm to have some cool last name like Thorin, they may call me Millie Dragonborn._

Kili, Fili and Thorin, five seconds after dragon remark: '..._What?'_

The Line of Durin don't understand my humor.

* * *

'You have lovely hands,' I told Kili, sitting at the kitchen table as Bilbo and Bombur served out some stew that they had made between the two of them. I'd liked moments like those, when everyone was loud and drinking ale and sitting around a table, just sharing stories and such. My mood had brightened considerably since Thorin had finally agreed into letting me join them the rest of the way to Erebor. Not that he had any choice in the matter.

Kili had been watching a conversation between Dori and Dwalin, but had looked at me in a bemused manner at my statement. 'I haven't heard that one before, but thank you,' he replied curtly, mouth curving into a smile. He lifted his hand from the table, spying it out. 'They just look like hands to me'.

'Nah,' I insisted, taking the hand between my own and studying the tanned skin, the rough fingertips, the prominent knuckles. 'Very nice hands'. I peeked over said hand to find Kili staring at me, still smiling. 'What?' I'd asked, amused and quite self-conscious. 'It's not like I complimented your freakin' _calves. _I said you have nice hands, is all'.

'You're so...' He shook his head, then looked back to me. 'Well, you have pretty eyes'.

Of course, the first thing that most people do when they receive a compliment is say, 'Tsk, no I don't!' This is, of course, the first thing that I had done upon hearing Kili's words.

'Nah,' insisted Kili, continuing to look at me. 'Very nice eyes,' he said, mirroring my words. It was Bombur pushing his beefy arm between us that cut away our stare. I'd continued to smile as I had started up a conversation with Balin about the Blue Mountains, while Kili continued to watch Dori and Dwalin talk among themselves.

And even as I spoke to Balin, I could only realize something that had settled into the back of my mind a while ago. That I was hopelessly and very _obviously_ head-over-heels in love with Kili, the doofus that he was. That I was content being with him, talking with him, accepting him and living alongside him. Honestly, I don't know how the fact hadn't settled in sooner, though I think I had _known_.

And somehow, I couldn't really find anything wrong with that fact.

* * *

**So, firstly. I GOT TICKETS TO SEE BEYONCE, AS WELL AS TICKETS TO READING FESTIVAL WHERE EMINEM, FALL OUT BOY, JAKE BUGG, ETC ARE PLAYING. August is going to be a very, _very _good month indeed. Just thought that I would tell you guys that.**

**I got the idea of Kili and Fili calling each other Kee and Fee off of some fanart on Tumblr and o m g, I love it. I just think it's so personal and intimate and shows the brotherly bond between the two, as well as the history. So, yeah.**

**Next chapter shall be preparing for leaving Laketown and such. I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you for waiting, and thank you for the reviews!**


	27. A Liability

**F-bomb dropped in this chapter, guys. If you follow my Tumblr then you're probably immune to the word, but just so you know.**

* * *

The one thing that became more and more apparent over the next few days had been the Dwarves complete and utter appreciation toward Bilbo. They would take him out to the local pub, pat him on the back, make conversation with him about The Shire and such.

I mean, half of the time I'd be left at the house or to wander about the stalls at Laketown's market. I'd managed to buy some leather straps and some white string, remembering what Kili had said about Dwarven courtships involving handmade gifts. Still though, while they went out to drink and spy out the people of Laketown (Oin and Gloin spoke of some guy named Bard), I was left to my own accords.

It's not like I had been _jealous _or anything, though.

Of course not.

Ha.

Hahahahahaha.

...

It had quite possibly been the most boring week of my entire existence.

I wasn't jealous of _Bilbo - _I'm not sure I was jealous at all, actually. I'd just been a little fed up with how things were going. The change within the group had been...obvious, to say the least.

I mean...Thorin had been _obsessed _with getting to the mountain. I'm telling you this now so that you understand the story later on, and so it won't come as too much of a surprise. I can understand why he had wanted to get there so badly, it was his home, his kingdom. But...whenever he mentioned it, there was always the mention of the treasure, the riches that we would find there.

From Bilbo's shifty looks, I think that he was beginning to notice Thorin's _greed _as well.

It had been one of those nights in which the others would go to the pub and come back roaring drunk. It had also been one of the days in which my monthly visitor had come ah-knocking, so I'd spent most of the night holed up in the kitchen and eating away at whatever I could find in the Dwarves' and Bilbo's absence.

I'd burrowed into my bag and found a notepad and a pen, to which I quickly began to use. It felt...odd, using something that was so...so _home. _To have something from so far away. A little bit of home. I doodled absentmindedly, sometimes popping a cookie into my mouth. Fifteen minutes later, I found myself eyeing up a rather well done piece of art, containing myself wielding Snowthorn and proclaiming, 'On guard!'

When I say well done, I mean a stick figure with pointy hair and a line acting as my 'weapon'.

I remember that night I'd been having quite a mopey, sad time. I'd missed my mum and the familiarity of my home. I'd missed my friends and the knowledge that I was safe and away from the threat of fire-breathing dragons and hench pale guys.

Fair enough, really.

I must have fallen asleep halfway through reaching for a cookie, because I was woken up sometime later to the bang of the kitchen door and my own startled snort as my head shot up lazily from the surface of the table, creases left against my cheek from the paper.

And then Nori's laughter, the bastard.

My hand had been resting pathetically on the rim of the cookie jar and my face pressed against my notepad. Both had left me with either an aching back or an aching arm, so I don't really recommend this sleeping position for those at home.

'You waiting up for us again?' inquired Nori, tripping into a chair at the table. He stank of ale and tobacco, and his eyes were pretty unfocused. 'You should'a gone to bed, y'know'.

I half shrugged, folding my arms and biting back a yawn. 'It's fine-'

'No,' said Dori, entering the kitchen. 'Nori - _bed. _Ori's already on his way up, and you gave him so much to drink that he can barely remember his own name. And _you - _you drank nearly all the ale in Laketown, I'd wager'. The grey haired Dwarf then promptly hefted up his brother by the armpits, whilst Nori just grinned lazily at his brother, his hair slightly mussed.

_Gasp._

'Your one's in a right state himself,' said Dori to me, voice strained as he dragged his brother from the kitchen as I rose from the table, still a little bleary eyed. 'As is the other one. Bilbo's contracted a cold and has sent himself straight to bed, and the others are going to come in and raid the kitchen any second now, so I'd make a run for it if I were you, lass'.

'Why is Fon-yer running?' asked Nori, hiccuping out a belch.

Dori shared a meaningful look with me and pulled Nori's arm over his own shoulder, following me out of the kitchen and into the spacious sitting room. The Dwarves were scrapping coats all over the place, as well as mud and boots and swords.

'-If Bilbo hadn't used that ring-'.

'_-I _was the one who knocked out th'Goblin, _Fili-'_

'-What're you talkin' about, you drunken lard of-'

It had been the drunkest I'd ever seen them. Seriously. Kili and Fili were leaning heavily against one another, while the others just pushed themselves back into chairs or fought drunkenly to light the fire. The most sober ones seemed to be Dori, Thorin and myself.

Me. _Sober._

The apocalypse must be coming. Sam and Dean to the rescue.

...

No?

Okay.

There had been the thudding of footsteps as Dori led Nori upstairs, and then Bombur had pushed past me to find the kitchen, along with a few of the others. 'Jesus,' I'd cackled. 'I don't think I've ever seen you lot _this _bad'.

'Admittedly,' slurred Fili, standing as straight as he could with Kili's hand pushing down on his shoulder. 'We are all heavily intoxicated this night, fair Millie Fourn-ee-yer'. He looked momentarily confused at his slur, looking sideways to share a look with his equally baffled brother.

'Forn-uh-yer,' said Kili, brow furrowed.

'Fourn-i-er,' replied Fili, balancing uneasily on his feet. 'Fournier!' he cheered, and both he and Kili raised their arms in unison, happy beyond words at being able to pronounce my surname.

'My future husband,' I'd stated blandly.

'My _Heirs,' _deadpanned Thorin, stepping forward from the doorway, shrugging off his coat and spying out his nephews with a soft, hidden smile. Thorin loved his nephews, that much was obvious. Since many of his family had died, I guess he just wanted to look out for Fili and Kili as much as he could, which is why he hadn't really wanted them continuing to Erebor.

I half snorted at Thorin's remark, approaching the two bumbling brothers with my hands raised. '_You _two need to go to bed'.

Fili fell into an armchair, causing Kili to lose his balance and catch my arm for support. 'The room is spinning,' complained Fili, throwing his head back to rest it against the back of the chair. 'Mahal, I 'aven't been this drunk since Gimli's sixtieth. Aye, Kili?'

Kili looked at me with a sideways, sickly look. 'Aye,' he'd huffed, in reply to his brothers drunken slur.

I cocked a brow at him and pushed him into the armchair next to Fili, making sure he didn't land _too _painfully. 'Even _I _don't know how you Dwarves can drink so much - _and_ we're _leaving _in two days. You should be trying to keep fit, not _drinki-'_

At that point into my speech, the brothers saw it fit to completely ignore me.

'-And Tawlen bet that he could drink all the ale in Ered Luin-' continued Fili, talking of some Dwarf that I didn't know of, slapping the palm of his hand against the chair of the arm in amusement.

I looked at Dwalin, who had appeared from the kitchen with one of my cookies half in his mouth, and glowered. 'Those are _my _cookies,' I told him, pointing a finger in his general direction. The slightly drunk Dwarf just grinned and bit further into said cookie, leaning against the door frame.

'These are the _households _cookies,' he shot back, crossing his thick arms once he had finished off the cookie.

I breathed heavily through my nose and addressed Thorin, who was staring up at the stairs with a thoughtful look on his face. 'Thorin. Dori said something about Bilbo being ill?'

Thorin's eyes studied me for a second, and then he'd heaved a sigh. 'Aye. The Hobbit has fallen ill from our time in the water a few days passed. It seems that he is much more prone to getting ill than we Dwarves are'.

I'd pretend like I knew what he was talking about and had nodded gravely, making a mental note to ask Kili about Dwarven immune systems sometime.

'What I would _do _for another ale right now-'

When he wasn't completely off his face on ale and demanding for more of the substance, that is.

Considering the fact that I was exhausted, menstrual and felt very obligated to make sure that Kili and Fili got to bed alright, I reached for Kili's hand that lay on the arm of the chair and tugged lightly. 'Bed,' I'd instructed, upon him looking up at me with a hazy look. 'Separately, of course,' I added quickly, glancing over my shoulder to Thorin.

He merely shook his head, rolled his eyes and started for kitchen, where most of the other Dwarves were, save for those who had already gone to bed.

Kili heaved a sigh and tightened his hold on my hand, allowing me to pull him to his feet. 'You retiring for the night, brother?' he asked, stumbling and turning to look over to where Fili was, slumped in his armchair with his mouth wide open.

Snoring.

'I'll take that as a solid _yes,' _I'd piped up, interlocking my fingers with Kili's and snorting at Fili's state. 'How much did you _drink?'_

_'Too _much,' said Kili, slumping his back and following me up the stairs. 'Nori kept challenging Fili and I to drinking-' At this point he had hiccuped, and I had hid a smile. '-...Contests, and we jus' _couldn't _refuse, could we?'

'Course not'.

'_Exactly'._

With his left hand caught in my right, we continued up the creaky stairs and away from the loudness of the rest of the Dwarves. Every so often Kili would groan and trip up a step, and I would hide yet another amused smile from him.

'_This _is why I love you,' said Kili, as I led him up the last step onto our own floor. Only a little surprised, I had turned to him with a bemused smile, his hand slipping from mine. 'You're _laughin' _instead of bein' _disappointed_, Millie'. Even in the state that he was in, I couldn't help but feel a little weak at the way his almond eyes looked at me, his hair mussed around his face and the way his eyebrows were drawn together in completely sincerity. 'I don' have to be ashamed or careful aroun' you'.

'Well, _duh,' _I'd laughed, drawing in to put my hands in his hair and push it back from his face. He was only a little taller than me, my nose reaching just below his. Still, I tilted my head up and, ignoring the smell of smoke and ale, kissed the corner of his mouth clumsily. 'I'm glad you feel that way - I w_ant _you to feel that way,' I insisted, trying very to hard to portray Serious Millie.

One, two, three-

'Oh!' I'd exclaimed quietly, breaking off our super romantic stare-off. Although, his had been a little unfocused and bleary. 'I didn't- I, uh, I love you too. _Sorry_,' I added. 'I didn't say it and I-' I cut myself off, smiling with my eyes closed. Opening them, I'd started over with a simple and clear, 'I love you too, Kili'.

He breathed in with a smile and stalled only momentarily. 'I'm very drunk right now'.

A comforting smile had been sent his way. 'I know'. My head had been full of funny little thoughts and my cheeks a dusted pink, but I had still led him to his room and pushed him onto the bed with as much delicacy as I could be bothered with. _This is why I love you. _My mind practically sang - heck, my mind _opera sang _the words. Hear that ladies and gentlemen? A _Prince _loves _me._

Kili rolled underneath the covers, punching at his pillow. With his eyes closed, he had said, 'It's rather good that Thorin has forbid us from sharing a bed. It wasn't the easiest thing in the world, Milady'.

Mouth agape and cheeks flaming - _yep, my romantic Prince Charming - _I had swatted Kili's arm and barked out a surprised laugh. Apparently not really realizing what he had said, Kili merely rolled onto his side and let out a rather loud snore.

I do know how to pick 'em.

* * *

The next day had been centered around acquiring the necessary things for the journey to Erebor itself, as well mentally preparing for what was to come upon reaching our destination. Thorin, Bilbo and a few of the others Dwarves went to talk things over with the Master of Laketown, as well look over the ponies that the Master had offered.

I think that Thorin was suspicious of getting some obese, asthmatic ponies. Admittedly, some of the ones that I had seen had looked a little round and stumpy.

I, on the other hand, had offered to make my way into the market place and grab anything that we would need. You know, more leather straps or cotton, stuff that we would need to repair anything that might get broken or torn. Despite the fact that I had only entered the market to get very few things, I'd left with a pair of gloves, some earrings, leather straps, cotton, a loaf of bread and a dozen carrots.

The people of Laketown, apparently, had not yet ceased their appreciation and excitement for our company. I guess that threatening in killing the dragon that lived on a nearby mountain _was _a pretty swanky thing to do.

Upon entering the house with my dress skirts swishing around me excitedly, I had huffed with my arms full of the gifts that I hadn't had to pay for, _at all. _'Do not,' I had stated, staring over the bread to the Dwarves. 'Ask'.

'We told you to only get the necessaries, lass!' said Balin, laughing heartily and taking the carrots and bread from my arms.

Kili, placing his sword on the side (he had been sharpening it), approached me with a laugh. 'Are these _earrings?' _He picked up the green little gems and sent me a knowing look, tongue pressed against the side of his cheek. 'Are you planning to _dazzle _Smaug to death?' he inquired cheekily._  
_

I snatched the earrings form his grasp, thankful that Balin had taken the bread and carrots to the kitchen. The other Dwarves were snorting at the exchange. Honestly, it was _impossible _for these guys to get more than a slight headache when hungover. It was like they'd become immune to it. 'I'll dazzle _you _to death in a minute,' I'd grumbled, letting the earrings slip into the contents of my bag. 'I had a present for _you, _but I shan't give it to you anymore'.

Kili's face had fallen. The Dwarves had cackled.

'Millie-'

'Nope'.

I hopped up the stairs with my head held high after inquiring whether they had heard from Thorin, Bilbo, Fili and the others. Those who remained were Balin, Kili, Bombur, Bofur, Bifur and Ori. The answer had been no, though they still laughed at Kili's crestfallen look.

I'd half hoped that he wouldn't now expect some amazing gift. It was just a crappy little bracelet that I had made for him from the leather straps, string and the various colored cotton from my sewing kit. That was the main reason why I'd gone to the market: I'd used up most of my 'mending' supplies.

The bracelet was a dark brown leather strap. The string that I had used was white, and two ran down each side of the leather, sewn on by blue cotton that zigzagged down the surface of each part of the string, making a particularly trendy pattern, if you ask me. It wasn't a very wide bracelet, maybe an inch or less. Still, I hadn't known what else to make him, so 'manly' jewelry seemed like the best idea to me.

I'd dropped the gloves, cotton and my bag onto the bed. I would be the one to carry the supplies for mending, considering I was the 'go to' girl when it came to that kind of thing. The gloves were something that I would not even have remembered to buy, had the market person not given them to me. And thank God they had.

I was to leave all of my dresses here, and leave in only the breaches, shirt, gloves, boots and coat that had been given to me on the day that we had arrived. The coat, along with the gloves, was freakin' amazing. It resembled the one that Kili had worn, with the rough leather material and the patterns along the edges. Perfect for the cold nights.

Once I had packed away the things into my bag and hung it on the bedpost, there was the sound of the front door opening and more voices joining the low grumble that had already gone on. Deciding that I would have a bath before going to bed rather than at that time, I had stopped fingering my braid (something that I had often done without realizing) and glanced up at the window at the light pink sky.

Hopping down each of the steps, I found myself in an empty sitting room with a still burning fire. This itself had been odd enough, but upon hearing the low voices coming from the kitchen, I had followed said voices and cracked open the door, smiling brightly.

Only to have this smile fall at the startled, rigid looks that I was met with.

'What?' I asked quickly, looking at each of the Dwarves and Bilbo in turn. They were piled into the kitchen, sat around the long table and facing Thorin, who stood at the head of them all. 'Quit looking at me like that, you weirdos. What's wrong?'

'We were just discussing our departure on the morrow, lass,' said Bofur, mouth stretching into a quick smile.

I paused, but the silence was short. 'Alright!' I stated brightly, pushing myself into the kitchen and rubbing my hands together. 'What we got cookin' then, Bombur?'

The large man immediately brightened up and stood, flourishing his hand toward the cooker where a thick, orange, creamy soup was cooking. 'It's carrot soup - I used the carrots that you brought back from the market,' he had explained. The noise of the kitchen steadily grew louder, but I was aware of Kili and Fili's muttering just behind me. 'My wife will often make this recipe'.

_That _had surprised me. 'I didn't know that you were married, Bombur'. I had known that Gloin had a son and a wife, but it had never crossed my mind that the others may have similar attachments.

Bombur gave a large, cherry cheeked smile. 'Aye. Her name is Ness, and you will not meet a finer cook, I can tell you that'.

I dipped my finger into the large cooking pot, sucking away the taste of the soup. 'Mmmm,' I'd said appreciatively. '_That's _hard to believe'. At that, Bombur had stuck his stomach out proudly.

That night, we had eaten the soup and talked over tomorrows plans. Thorin and the others had found sufficient ponies, and apparently Bilbo's cold had been a one day illness. Upon Bofur calling Hobbits 'delicate beings', Mister Baggins had straightened up and dropped his soup spoon into his bowl.

'Hobbits are sturdy and healthy creatures, _thank you, _Bofur'.

'My apologies, Master Hobbit,' chuckled the Dwarf.

It was half way through the meal that I had grown pretty pissed off at Kili and Fili's blatant awkwardness. Kili had sat beside me, and Fili next to him. Both slurped at their soups noiselessly, ignoring most of the clashing of ales and burps from Ori and Nori, to which Dori would swat at them. The rest seemed to find it highly amusing, even Bilbo cracked a small smile. Thorin merely rolled his eyes.

'What's _wrong _with you two?' I wasn't stupid. I had known that whatever had been discussed before I had walked into the kitchen...well, it had troubled the brothers enough that they were hardly _drinking._

Kili's eyes rolled to meet mine. 'Nothing,' he insisted.

'You're not annoyed about earlier, are you?' I was _joking_-' He had cut me off quickly, swallowing his dinner and shaking his head.

'What? No. Of course not, Millie'. He smiled at me. 'Nothing is the matter'.

I settled back into my chair, glancing curiously at the still quiet Fili. 'Well, good. I want to give you that present after dinner, anyway,' I had said, almost _shyly. _Kili's smile had grown, but I could see that there was something missing. Something not quite right with the way that he directed those smiles, those reassuring words.

I had also seen the way that Thorin watched his nephew interact with me, and this only solidified my suspicions. I was confident that they were hiding something from me, but I couldn't think what.

Both Kili and I excused ourselves at the same time, and the moment the kitchen door shut behind us, I was instantly questioning him about the night before. I was, of course, eager to know whether or not he remembered much of our conversation.

He bloody well better had.

Kili had snorted. 'I wasn't _that _drunk, Millie - okay, _yes, _I was. _Despite that, _I do remember talking to you..._some_ of it'. Just as we were about to reach the stairs, he pulled me back lightly. 'And I _do _still love you, Milady'. He kissed me then so that I stood pressed lightly against the wall. I smiled against the kiss, and the kiss was long, slow and _different. _

I pulled away and stared at him, hard. 'There _is _something up,' I declared.

Kili furrowed his brow, momentarily baffled. 'Well, yes. There is the ceiling, then there is the sky, and then beyond that-'

'Wha- _no. _I mean there is something_ wrong, _Kili. You're acting very strange...sad, almost'.

After a moment, he sighed and pressed his forehead against mine. His breath moved my hair, which tickled my cheek. 'I'm merely worried about the quest, as are most of us. Some show it more than others. Have you-' he swallowed, staring into my eyes. 'Have you packed?'

I brought my hands up to rest on his waist, still not entirely believing. 'Yeah- _yes_'. Deciding to change the subject, I'd curled my mouth into a smile, cocking a brow. 'Was it really _that _hard sleeping next to me?'

Kili faltered and closed his eyes. 'Oh, Mahal,' he'd breathed.

Despite my best efforts, I couldn't help but continue to tease. 'Was it really so _difficult _to control yourself around me, Prince-y? Alas, many have fallen to their knees in awe upon seeing the magnificence of Millie Fournier- _Kili!'_

His hands dig into my sides, fingers tickling any part of me that they could reach. Bent over, I had screeched out hysterical laughter, trying to elbow him away from me. 'I'm sorry!' I'd yelped, eyes watering. Still, he pursed. 'I won't tease you anymore-!'

His hands dropped from my sides and I had straightened up quickly, glaring at his grinning face. 'You _chatte,' _I declared, glad that he had no idea that I'd just called him, of all things, a cat in French. 'That was just plain cruel'.

'Come on,' laughed Kili. 'I want to see this gift of mine'.

* * *

I stood back awkwardly, letting Kili finger the finished bracelet. I'd cut a small slit in one side and attached a button to the other, allowing him to take it on and off whenever he pleased. If he wanted to put it on at all, that is. Oh, _Mahal._

Kili looked up with a soft smile, something that I only saw in moments like these. 'Millie,' he had said, very quietly. 'Millie, it's very beautiful. Thank you'.

I shrugged, scuffing my feet against the wooden floor. 'You said that in Dwarven traditions, Dwarves exchange gifts during a courtship, so...' I waved at the object in his hands, making a funny little grunting noise and shrugging once again. 'Er, _voilà'._

He did not inquire as to what the word meant, as he did with most things that I popped out with these days.

He didn't say anything, just bowed his head and went about attaching the leather to his wrist. With deft hands, it was done in seconds. 'I should make you something,' he said, brow furrowed. 'I am the man, I should have started the gift exchange-'

'Shut up,' I advised him. 'I started it. Make me something when we've got rid of Smaug and we're lounging around Erebor, waiting for the rest of the Dwarves to come and start the party up'. I caught the falter in his expression, but said nothing. 'Kili?'

'Yes?'

'Do you have any tattoos?'

He looked up, away from the bracelet. 'Why do you ask?'

I tilted my head, pulling off the belt that had Snowthorn attached to it and throwing it onto the bed. 'I noticed that a few of the others had some, I just wondered whether you did or not'. _Because that would be superbly, tremendously attractive, kind sir._

'I don't,' he said, pushing away some hair, along with the braid that I had made him. 'Fili does, but that is only because he has seen a few Orc raids, whereas I have not seen so many. Fili is more experienced than I, and therefore it is fitting for him to acquire something that only is meant for Dwarves who have seen battle'. He paused. 'I will have one some day'. There was a quietness in his voice, a sentence that had not been spoken between us.

_If I live._

'Do you think we'll come out of this alive, Kili?'

He walked toward me, ceasing the small distance between us. He addressed me with a sincere look on his face, with his hands resting on my shoulders. The bracelet that I had made him hovered by my face. 'You will'.

'...I don't think that I want to come out of this alone'.

He had said nothing, only wrapped his arms around me and brought me closer to him, his body pressed so close to mine that I could not tell where his warmth ended and mine began. And I had not known what would happen, why he was being so sincere, so sure in his promises.

But I would.

* * *

Kili had left my room soon after I had told him that I needed a bath. He had continued to hold me for a second, then pressed a kiss to my neck, then my mouth and told me that he loved me, that he was mine and that he would see me tomorrow, that we would be leaving in the late afternoon.

He said that he would wake me up.

I had only thought that he was being so caring, merely because this was our last true resting place. Tomorrow, we would start on the road again, and we may run into Azog along the way, we may run into Orcs and Wargs - but the road only ended with Smaug.

I was scared, and Kili had comforted me.

I slept like a sloth that night (not entirely sure how that works, but let's go with it), with the knowledge that this was my last nights_ comfortable _sleep. In my bath, I had scrubbed and cleaned and lay there until the water started to go lukewarm, pretty positive that within two days I would be filthy and smelling like Dwalin.

My clothes were ready to put on quickly, and my bag hanging exactly where I had left it. Kili had told me that we would leave in the late afternoon, so I'd counted on waking up at around ten o'clock and help the other pack everything up and mentally prepare myself for weeks of no bathing and poor hygiene and _smelly men._

The others hadn't counted on the rest of Laketown waking me up at six o'clock in the morning, though.

Moving out of my sleeping position of my arm being thrown off of the bed, I sat up quickly and flattened out my hair, brow furrowed and mouth set into an annoyed pout. The light in the room told me that it was far too early to be awake, and that something had the people of Laketown particularly excited.

I glanced out of my window and saw that the streets were lined with men and women and children, just like it had been on the day of our arrival. For a moment, I had been even more confused. Thorin had told the Master to make sure no one knew when we were leaving, that way there would not be time for a crowd to gather.

And then it had sunk in.

They were planning to leave me behind.

_That _was what they had been talking about in the kitchen, _that _was why they had shut up upon me walking in, _that _was why Kili had been so affectionate, so...s_ad. _He thought that he may not see me again. That, despite the fact they were all so positive of Smaug's defeat, there was doubt beyond the arrogance of Dwarves.

He had been saying goodbye to me.

And I didn't know whether to love him, or to hate him for protecting me. I didn't know whether to be touched or enraged that they all assumed that I was not _ready _for the journey ahead.

'Well, excuse me,' I'd muttered, throwing the covers off of me. 'But fuck that sideways'.

As quietly as I could, I had changed from my sleeping clothes into the breeches, the shirt, the socks, the gloves, the boots and the coat. I had washed my face, brushed my hair, made my bed and stood in the wooden room, listening to the unearthly quietness of the house. But there was noise, small sounds of footsteps on the ground floor. _Are they honestly trying to be quiet with that racket outside?_

I had quickly put my belt on over my coat, made sure that Snowthorn was attached and hitched my bag on over my torso I stood there for a moment, swallowing away my anger and _trying _(through gritted teeth) to reason with myself.

Of course they were protecting me. Of course I would be at danger in battle. But I had _proved _myself, back when we were attacked by the Pale Orc. Myself and Bilbo had shown that we were able, that we were _loyal. _

And it was because I was female that they had tried in leaving me behind.

Pah. The weaker sex my _arse._

So, with my head held high and my hands clenched with nervousness, I had thrown open my bedroom door and seen that Kili, Fili, Bilbo and Thorin's doors were all open as well. Beds were made, rooms were unoccupied.

_Breathe, Millie._

I bounded down the stairs loudly, positive that I heard all conversation cease once I reached the second landing. The scene from _Jurassic Park _had popped into my head, and I could only imagine myself with a T-Rex roar.

_Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned._

I was halfway down the last flight stairs when I saw the first _one of them. _Dori, then Nori, then Ori, then the rest of them. All in the sitting room, all preparing themselves for the road ahead in their separate ways. All looking at me with frozen stares.

'Well, _hey lads,' _I said, stopping on the fourth step up. 'We all ready to go? I _sure_ am! That crowd out there, huh? _Very _loud - they woke up'. I swallowed, smiling tightly and eyes narrowed. My God, I had probably looked mad. 'Good thing as well, I guess you _forgot to wake me up'._

_Don't look at him._

'There is no use in playing this game, Millie,' sighed Thorin finally, stepping forward with his hand on his sword hilt. I directed my gaze to him, tilting my head and raising my eyebrows.

'_Oh_? You mean avoiding outright saying that, you know, _you guys were going to leave me here alone?' _I stepped down a step, face flushing. 'You mean that _tiny, little detail, Thorin?' _Admittedly, my voice had gone a little shrill on that last note. 'Were you even going to leave me a letter- _anything?'_

'Millie-' Kili had started, looking slightly pained.

'Unless you want me to throw this _burning_ sword at your face, I suggest that you shut up'.

He silenced himself, shoulders drooping.

Thorin spoke louder, 'I will not have you disrupting this quest with your temper. You will come, yes. It was not my own idea to leave you sleeping, ignorant of our departure, but it is a deed done with _care_ and _love_.You would be safe here, the people of Laketown would supply you with what you need. Upon reclaiming Erebor, we will send for you-'

_Oh, Thorin. You _fool_._

'Well, there will be no need for you to _send for me, _as you put it. I'm coming with you, and I won't have a temper tantrum either. With all due respect, Thorin, I _want _to come'. I shook my head, furrowing my brow in general confusion at them all. 'I thought you'd all...I dunno, _accepted _me?'

'Oh lass, we_ have,' _insisted Bofur. 'Anyway, _I _thought that it was a pointless idea from the beginning'. He cowered slightly under the others accusing stares. 'I _did'._

'So did we,' said Nori, referring to himself and his brothers. They nodded with their brother, Ori very eagerly.

'And me,' said Bilbo, slightly uncomfortable from the look that Thorin was sending them. Still, he stood tall and proud, no longer as frightened of Thorin as he once had been.

'And I,' huffed Bombur, crossing his arms. 'You've got as much spirit as anyone else on this quest, lass. No reason why you shouldn't join us'.

_Apart from, apparently, the fact that I have boobs. _

'Well,' I had said, a little flustered. 'Thank you'. I walked down the last few steps, aware of the eyes on me. Aware that I would have to prove myself more than ever.

'I'm sorry that most of you seem to think of me as such a liability. I'll try harder, I promise'.

They couldn't seem to find a reply to that one.

And, finally, I met Kili's gaze.

* * *

**Okay, whew. I hate that I had to do that to Millie, but it just seemed like something that the Dwarves would do, despite the fact that it was not done in a negative way, but a way to show that they care about Millie's safety. Obviously, Millie gets that, but she's still pissed.**

**Kili and Millie will have their talk later, but as you can see she's not all 'o m g kili how could u' with him. Millie is growing up, and she's being fair about the situation. **

**The next chapter will find us back in the proper story of The Hobbit, so expect more talk of Erebor, Bilbo, Smaug and, maybe, the Ring! **

**Thank you so much for the reviews and for sticking with this story. I love you all!**


	28. Along The River

'I don't understand,' I had muttered, following Dori out of the house and into the cheering streets. The people had made the road clear, but they stood pressed against the houses, craning for a glimpse of Thorin, or Fili and Kili. They were a mix of colors and faces, all ones that I would forget upon leaving the watery town. 'We're going to the _boats?'_

'Yes,' said Dori, half turning to pull me forward. The group of us were walking in a line, following the Master of Laketown toward the main gates of the town. 'We will share three boats up the Long Lake and the River Running, and then we will meet some of the Men of Laketown on the Western Bank with our ponies, and from there we will make our own way'.

'Oh'. My reply had been useless, but Dori had not heard it over the bustle of the people that we had passed, nor over the sound of Bofur's pleased little remarks. The Master led us quickly, and soon we were away from the dispersing crowd who'd lingered near the town center. Somehow, I hadn't been quite as happy at our fame as I had when we'd first arrived.

Kili walked behind, and I hadn't been able to bring myself to look at him. You know, without wanting to take one of his arrows and shove it-

'I hope these will suffice for you, King Under the Mountain,' said the Master of Laketown, stopping at the head of the group. We had walked through the towns few streets and up to the waters rippling edge. Five Men were standing there, waiting for us. In their hands they held the rope, and attached to the rope were the three, long boats.

'They will,' said Thorin stepping forward. 'Thank you for your aid, once again'.

The Master, with his round belly and sweaty little face, had laughed and said, 'Yes, yes. Be sure to send word once you have reclaimed the Mountain, of course!' The words that had lingered were _if you reclaim the mountain. _Something had told me, and the rest of the Company, that the Master had only been so interested in the gold that lay beneath the Lonely Mountain.

Thorin had said, quite blandly, 'Of course'.

There was five of us to be put in each boat. You already _know _who I would be placed with, but it's not like it was a _bad _thing. I was just going to let him know who wore the pants in this particular relationship, and who he should _not _treat like an invalid. But not yet, of course. Having a domestic in the small confines of the boat hardly seemed fair to the others.

Still, as I had stepped forward with tentativeness and attempted to place myself onto the boat, Kili had been the one to take me by the waist and, while stepping onto the boat himself, place me on the wooden surface. As the others had climbed into their boats, I'd looked at him with a nervous little frown and a stiff,

'Thank you'.

He sighed. 'Millie-'

'Can you at least wait until we've _all _gotten into this bleedin' contraption before you-' At my glare, Bofur had shut up. 'Well, _budge,' _the Dwarf had said, sheepishly tugging at his hat.

As we sat down, the order of the people on my boat had gone Bofur, myself, Kili, Fili and Bombur. Thankfully, as I have said, the boats were long and big enough to fit all of us. Still, the air had been cold and the leaves were starting to fall from the trees: autumn had been approaching. With this, I had known that our journey would be uncomfortable.

Yet I could only be thankful that I was on it at all.

Many of them hardly spoke to me, perhaps of our sheer awkwardness at being found out. I knew the ones who had not voted for me to come, and both Fili and Kili were involved in that category. Of course, they were the two in the company who I was closest to, obviously. Kili was my...mine, and I understood why he had not wanted me to go to Erebor. I had, honestly.

But I had been angry. Angry that they thought it was _their _choice and not mine. Angry that, after everything, we were back to square one.

But at the same time, as the Men of Laketown pushed our boats out and the Master bid us farewell, I'd felt...scared, really. I mean, this was it. We had been able to _see _our destination. We knew that, in that Mountain, there was a dragon who, indeed, needed slaying. And a little part of me had thought of my wooden room and the bed that came with it.

But then I had remembered that I was Millie Fournier, and that means proving everyone else wrong, and doing it with style.

'How long will it take to get to the Western Bank?' I'd asked, as the current pushed us further from the safety of Laketown. The water had been fairly calm, and Kili and Bofur had been named the oarsmen of our particular 'contraption', as Bofur called it. He'd also grumbled about the weight of Bombur only putting more effort on his and Kili's rowing, much to Bombur's dissatisfaction.

'Three days,' said Thorin in reply to my question, from the boat next to ours.

My eyes had momentarily popped, but I had quickly straightened myself up and said, calmly, 'Oh, alright'. Internally, though, I was sobbing. _Three _days? In _this _thing? I mean, sure, we'd stop off to sleep...but _three days?_

The conversation was scarce as we rode up the river. Information was exchanged, such as the fact that the Men of Laketown would meet us with our ponies and extra supplies upon reaching the Western Bank, as well as the reminders (teasing) toward Bilbo about him being the Burglar, and how exactly he planned to enter Smaug's lair.

'Well...I suppose that my ring will do for sneaking in, won't it?' The Hobbit had inquired, and the Dwarves had quickly shut up, looking a little dazed.

'That's right, Master Hobbit,' said Balin, as if the idea had not occurred to him yet, as it had not with many of us. 'I'm sure that it will, indeed'. Uh, _yeah. _Although, I never really understood how that would work. Did they expect Bilbo to waltz in there and steal every bit of gold, because from what I'd heard there was a _lot _of it.

At one point I must have started to lean forward and drift off to sleep out of sheer _boredom_. It had been the tug on my coat, bringing backwards, that had me blinking blearily though.

With my back pressed against his chest, Kili had said, 'Go to sleep'.

I shuffled as he rearranged his knees to rest either side of me, hating how comfortable I was. 'We're going to need to talk later,' I informed him quietly, eyes slipping shut once again. The sound of the water had been oddly calming, as well as the woody scenery that now drifted past.

Kili paused, and I could just imagine him swallowing. He moved with the force of the oar in his grasp, lightly urging the boat forward in the already strong current 'I'll be sure to look forward to it'.

And so I slept.

* * *

The shore was rocky and lined with pine trees, all leaning toward the water as if blown by a consistent wind. Beyond the rockiness there was a flat surface in which Thorin had said we would camp on. Thankfully, we each had a sleeping bag (including me, for once!) that we had acquired before leaving. All fur lined and thick, perfect for the cold nights.

'Do we need fire wood?' I asked, standing back awkwardly as the camp was prepared. _Prove yourself. _

There was a brief silence as boats were pulled ashore, beds were lain out and the area was scouted and deemed safe. 'Are you sure you can manage, lass?' inquired Dwalin, half kindly and half teasingly.

Considering that he had been one of the few to vote against me coming, I had glowered. 'You can either freeze to death or ask me _politely _to gather some firewood, Dwalin. And _yes, _I _can_ manage it'. A memory of me tripping over and scattering firewood everywhere had come to mind. 'Now. I can manage it _now_'. A hot flush crept up my face at the hidden smiles of most of the company.

'Then _yes, _if you would be _so_ kind,' said the larger Dwarf, dipping into a mock bow.

Rigidly, I had turned on my heal and started for the forest, away from the snickering and the guilty stares. 'Kili,' I snapped loudly, entering the treeline and smelling the pine. 'Come with me'.

He had, apparently, got the message. Soon after, he was by my side, leaving behind the snorts of the Dwarves and Bilbo. Even the _Hobbit _was laughing at us. Or Kili. For being so whipped.

'I'm angry at you,' I informed him, pushing a branch out of the way and leaning down to gather some dry wood. Kili stood beside me, watching my every move with that annoyingly intense stare of his. I straightened up and looked at him, arms full of twigs. 'You shouldn't have decided for me whether I could come or not. I know that you did it with care-'

'Do you?' inquired Kili, dark brow raised and his new quiver of bows sticking out from behind him. 'From the way that you reacted, Millie, it did not seem like it. I didn't do it to _control _you-'

I rolled my eyes. 'Well yeah, I _know _that'.

He ignored me. 'Millie, I _can't _let you be put into that situation again - not like with the Goblins. You were physically _ill _at the notion of _killing something. _What if we run into Azog again?' He stepped forward, pushing my hair back and holding my face and _looking _at me. 'And now you're here with me, and although I am glad, and I _am_-'

Swallowing hard, I rushed out with, 'What if I had done that to _you_? Just left. Gone. What if you had to stay somewhere everyday, not knowing whether I was alive or dead? Not having said a proper goodbye? What would you have done?'

His hard jaw clenched and his dark eyes lowered. 'I see'. He dropped his hands from my face.

I half shrugged, the twigs pressed between us. 'When you left my room last night, you said that you were mine'. I stood a little higher, feet bending into a tiptoe. With my face hovering near his, I said, 'I'm not exactly liking the idea of letting something that is mine wander off without it telling me first'.

Kili cocked a brow, '_It_?'

I ignored him. 'I'm just _upset, _Kili. You can't leave me behind like that. You can't decide what's best for me and what I should or shouldn't do. I'm learning, and I need to continue learning if I want to survive in this world, you know? I mean, I've told you that things are different for women where I'm from, and you've gotta respect that fact'.

He stared. 'I forget, sometimes. That you're from somewhere so different and so far away'.

'Me too'. I looked at him, reaching for his hand. 'So next time, you come to _me _and talk to _me. _No more lying to each other, not after everything, alright?' He bit his tongue and nodded, letting out a chuckle. 'Good. I'm only half forgiving you, by the way. The others can grovel first'. I looked up with a smile, only then realizing how much I had loved those moments alone. 'We don't _have _to go back now, you know'.

Kili considered this, smiling. 'We haven't gathered _all _of the twigs yet...'

'Thank _God_,' I'd sighed, and with that I dropped the twigs to the floor and risen onto my toes once again, dropping his hand and kissing him full on the mouth. All of the innocence and restrictions of Dwarven courtship was slowly driving me insane, and the thought of him being so protective of me...well-

Kili pushed me around and put my back gently against the tree, which had me pulling away to laugh. His cheeks were all dusty and, _Mahal_, he was simply irresistible. His mouth was back on mine again, and I could barely comprehend how getting firewood to have a go at him had turned into a steamy make out session.

I'd felt like such a _teenager, _which technically I would be for another two months, but still.

His hands felt for my waist and brought me closer. I already knew that he, in honesty, disliked the restrictions of the courtship as much as I did, but who would tell Thorin? On top of that, Kili was reckless and brave and so was I - that could have never been a good combination from the start.

And, by Jove, he'd tasted like sugar and sweets and gummy worms. I _love _gummy worms.

He'd done something particularly forward then, something that I wouldn't have imagined him doing without glancing up at me, unsure. Still, he'd dipped his head and kissed my neck and, sweet Lord, I'd let out an embarrassing little gaspy-giggle at the tickling sensation, forcing myself to resist a snort. He smiled against the line of my jaw, pulling away to push my hair from my face.

'You're _beautiful_,' he told me, eyes a little dark and cheeks a little dusted.

Knees weak and heart pounding, I'd replied with a breathless, '_You're_ just trying to make me forget about you being a Class A tool,' I replied a little breathlessly.

Kili pressed his forehead against mine, breathing out a chuckle. 'I'm supposing that's an insult?'

'It might have been'.

Kili pulled away from me and I fought the urge to drag him right back into the lovely, warm embrace. Instead, I had watched him bend down to retrieve the twigs (ah, the view) and then shove them into my own, startled arms. 'Wha-?'

'They'll be waiting for us to return with the firewood,' he replied, smiling cheekily at my stumped look. 'No use in keeping them wait'.

Mouth twisting into a shrewd smile, I'd jerked my head back into the general direction of the campsite and followed him away from the pine trees and back to the riverbank. Twilight loomed over us, and the water rushed passed over the great river. Once arriving back to the others, I could see that most were sitting around and smoking pipes, talking over the area.

'I'm telling you,' said Nori to Dori. 'Something here does not feel quite right. And _don't _say it's all the pipe weed I've been smoking'. He glanced down as I popped the firewood onto the floor and waved in the general direction of it, not one for even _attempting _to light it. 'Mahal, she did it'.

'Took you two a long time to gather a simple pile of wood,' said Fili, lounging against a boulder. 'Made up?'

'_Shut _up,' replied Kili, looking anywhere but at Thorin.

The fire was lit and the soup was made, and we all sat around, taking in the warmth of the flames. Darkness had fallen quickly and the sound of the water rolling over the rocks of the river was a distraction from the silence of the forest, something that I had not been used to.

After a small pause, I'd glanced about to see something both comical and peculiar. The circle in which we sat in had slowly become a little smokey, mostly because each and every member of the company now held a pipe to their lips and puffed away at it, drawing away to blow circles or any other shape out into the air.

'-and the last moon of autumn,' said Thorin, his voice gravelly and low. He held the pipe close to his mouth and the smoke drifted about him, making him look oddly eerie. I sat near Kili, but none of the others mentioned our sudden reconciliation, nor what had happened before leaving Laketown. 'That is when the door to Erebor will be open to us'.

'Will we make it in time?' asked Nori, fingering a pebble between his fingers.

Dwalin cast a dark glance up to him. 'You'd best hope that we will, or this quest will have been for nothing,' grumbled the permanently grouchy Dwarf, shushing up Nori in a second flat.

'How much time do we have left to reach the doors?' asked Kili, handing a tobacco pouch to his brother. Fili nodded in thanks, his eyes not straying from Dwalin or Thorin.

'Enough,' insisted Thorin with a short, gruff reply.

While this exchange had been going on, I had deposited my bowl and instead began fiddling with Kili's large hand with both of mine, liking the feel of his rougher skin and longer fingers. He'd barely looked at me as I had done this, only focusing on what the others were saying, a very serious look on his youthful face. _How can he be in his seventies?_

Halfway through tutting quietly at the state of Kili's nails (_filthy_, honestly), a sharp and loud howl had cut through the night, shutting up every single Dwarf and Hobbit talking.

And the worst thing? The howl had been familiar.

Kili's hand had retracted in mine, his fingers curling around my palm and looking sharply to the treeline behind us, away from the rolling river. In return, I had held his hand back, freezing in my place on the pebbly floor. The rest of the Dwarves had done the same, sharp eyes swerving to the direction in which the far away howl had come from.

'_Wargs,' _breathed Thorin, saying the word in which we had all dreaded.

'Are they near?' I asked sharply. 'Should we leave on the boats now?'

I could only remember the night in which Thorin had been carried in the Wargs mouth, when the Pale Orc had thrown him to the floor and Bilbo and I had risen together. I'd been sure that was it for me, that I would die then and there.

'No,' decided Thorin, standing. 'No. We cannot steer the boats in this dark. Kili, Fili - put out the fire and throw a blanket over it to make sure that no smoke rises. Dwalin - come with me and we will do a quick scout of the area to check that it is safe. Millie - ensure that all of our supplies are ready to be gathered quickly on the morrow'. With that, both he and and Dwalin stood, exchanging a hard and meaningful look.

I'd just sat there for a moment, not aware of Kili tugging his hand from mine. Thorin...Thorin had _trusted me _with a job?

'Better get to it, lass,' said Balin lowly, watching as Kili helped me to my feet. The older Dwarf gave me a pile of the bowls , as everyone else got up to do their own jobs or quietly settle into bed. 'Those go into Ori's pack,' he said, talking of the pile of wooden bowls in my arms.

Kili and Fili went about sorting out the fire, while I gathered the bowls and the spoons, handing them all to the nervous looking Ori. He put them into his pack and lent toward me as I eyed the still and dark forest.

'Do you think that we _should _stay here?' he asked, as if my opinion was important at all. 'It hardly seems very safe'. I had remembered then, listening to Ori's voice, that he was an artist, and as used to this kind of thing as I was. I'd remembered seeing him in the battles, seen him jabbing his weapons anywhere that he could, seen him defending his brothers.

'I guess Thorin knows what's best,' I replied, the doubt very evident in my voice. Snapping my gaze away from the trees, I looked to him. 'And he's King, right? Hopefully he knows what he's doing'.

_But he's been wrong before._

The King and his Dwarven friend returned soon after, stating that they had seen nor heard anything while in the midst of the pine trees. True enough, we hadn't heard anything as we settled down for the night, half blind without the lit fire. The only light was the silvery moon, high up in the starry sky.

Kili, without a word, had taken me by the hand and led me to settle down beside himself and Fili. The latter had given me a hard look and nodded once, and I guess that it must have been some kind of apology, or an acknowledgment of what had happened. Still, we were fine after that, so I suppose there must have been something in that nod.

As Kili took my hand and pulled me onto the ground with him, helping me set out my sleeping bag, I'd realized something. Sure, I'd been angry. I'd been hurt. I'd been let down and upset. I've said it once and I will say it again: his lack of faith in my abilities had wounded me, especially after everything. But, as I watched him settle down in his own sleeping bag beside Fili, my own next to him...

I'd realized that I had no time to waste in being angry with him, nor any of them. Despite anything that they would do or had done to offend or hurt me, I just didn't have it in me to lose any time that I might have with them. Anything could go wrong on this journey, and if that were the case, then time was something that I did not have a lot of.

Myself especially.

So, the next morning, I had asked Dwalin to start up sword training every time that we stopped off for a break along the river. The brawny man considered me and nodded, an almost approving look on his hard face.

And I had held Snowthorn's hilt in my palm, wondering about the end of this quest.

* * *

**Glad that I got this chapter out of the way. It's pretty much the start of the journey from Laketown to Erebor, so next chapter we can get on with things some more. Ugh, I'm so nervous about writing those future chapters perfectly. Anyway, I won't be ending this when the book ends, just so you know. I mean, that won't be Millie story done. **

**Also, thanks for the questions for Millie on my tumblr, kiliyousosilly. If you want to ask anything, go ahead!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews and the PM's and the favorites and the follows!**


	29. If Turtles Could Run

My arms and legs ached on the third day on the river. Dwalin had trained with me at every stop that we made, but sitting in a boat for hours upon end with aching arms and legs didn't dwell well with my muscles.

Nor my bladder.

Thorin had said, though, that we would only stop once we reached the Men of Laketown, who would meet us to give us the ponies and the extra supplies. Thankfully, that destination had not been far off.

Nor was the Lonely Mountain. It hovered in the distance, near the end of the rushing, twirling river that we sat atop on our wooden boats. The Mountain was like a great curve in the land, drifting upward into the misty clouds above. I wondered what it looked like inside, what Smaug had done to it, whether, in a year, I would be living there myself.

Whenever in a year I would be living at all.

Ugh, I'm such an _emo _lately.

'Millie,' called Balin, from his boat with Thorin. I looked away from the green scenery that I had been staring at halfheartedly and looked to the front-left, where Balin sat behind Dwalin. 'I hope you know that I do not dislike you in anyway, and that my decision was only based on what would be safest for you'. I had known that this was not the only reason, of course. If any of them needed to defend me, it would put them in danger too.

And that was exactly why I needed to fight well, and learn well too.

I blinked, straightening up under the gazes of those who were not intent on rowing the boats. 'Oh, I know,' I said, trying to be light and airy and not give the poor Dwarf a speech in why it was _my_ choice to come. I doubted that he would have appreciated a twenty-first century speech on feminism.

'Good,' said Balin, a smile on his plump face. 'Both Dwalin and I think the same, don't we?' There was a pause, and then Balin gave the brother in front of him a swift kick in the behind.

'Yes,' said Dwalin gruffly, and that was that.

The other Dwarves gave little huffs of laughter, but all stopped when Thorin said. 'There, on the bank. I can see the Men waiting for us with our ponies and supplies'.

I knew that upon finding solid ground, our journey would only become that much more real.

_Lame._

* * *

'It isn't exactly the most comforting thought to see grown Men run away from the Mountain that we are heading for,' grumbled Bombur, tearing at a piece of his bread. He had been speaking of the fact that, upon getting our ponies and such from the Men of Laketown, the Men had left as quickly as they could.

'I swear I heard them _praying _for us,' I commented. 'Just as they were leaving'.

'Even _better,' _whined the Dwarf. I'd decided long ago that I liked Bombur quite a lot, and not because he was the friendly, fat one of the group. He saw things for how they were, be they shit or dandy. And he had a wife waiting for him at home, someone who he fought for, to reclaim a home that she could live in. Plus, he knocked most of his enemies out of the way with his belly, something that will never grow old.

I mean, that must take _skill._

Like most nights, the lot of us were seated around the fire, cautious of what we were hearing in the forest. Ever since our first night of camp along the river, we had been very wary of whether we were being followed, especially now that we were on land permanently.

'Bilbo,' I said, thankful that I was seated closely to him so I did not have to shout across the company. 'Are you, you know, scared about going into Smaug's 'lair', or whatever. I mean, I know that you'll be invisible-' It was something that I had not bothered to ask the Hobbit, and something the Dwarves had taken for granted. I couldn't help but think that Bilbo _needed _some recognition toward his bravery.

'You should probably be worried if I was not even slightly fearful,' said the Hobbit, hairy, hard feet spread out in front of us. 'Thorin and the others have made it sound as if I will be leaving will extra gold, considering how I have...' He trailed off, not sure how to sound modest, yet knowing that he _had _got us out of some sticky situations.

'You can say it,' I laughed, drawing my knees up and hugging them to my chest. 'You've saved us loads, Bilbo. I can understand why Thorin would want you to take some more gold-'

'Well,' said Bilbo, voice lowering an octave. 'It was not Thorin who offered, but Balin. Thorin appeared to just go along with the request, although slightly unwillingly'. Bilbo cast his light eyes up to mine, a frown appearing under his curved little nose. 'I don't wish to bring up something that we are both seeing, but the Dragon Sickness that took Thorin's grandfather-'

'Don't,' I said, shaking my head and digging my feet into the ground. 'We have to hope that Thorin isn't succumbing to that greed of wealth'.

And shit, that was probably the most mature thing I had _ever _said. _Point 1 to Millie in proving to the company that she is not some bumbling idiot. _I looked over to the ponies as Bilbo replied, wondering which one I would call mine in the morning.

'I just don't have a good feeling, is all,' said the Hobbit and just nodded stiffly in reply.

'Neither do I, Bilbo-san'.

He just looked at me, baffled.

Later on that night, Kili was the first one to go on watch. Considering how we had spent the last three days on a boat, rarely going on land, I had not had much time to talk with him. And the next few days were very important, though I would not say it to him. He'd only get angry and tell me to shut up if I ever mentioned the fact that-

Well, he would just tell me that maybe I _should have stayed at Laketown then, shouldn't I?_ That I was not _ready _to fight a dragon yet.

I couldn't find the words to say anything to him, though. We sat a few steps away from the sleeping company, hands interlocked and backs pressed against a boulder. The sky was clear, but clouds loomed in the distance, thin and wispy and _misty._

'Tell me about something,' I requested, enjoying the feeling is his rough fingers between mine. 'Dwarves, your home, you_self - _anything. I want to know everything'. He did. His voice was low and near my ear, and he spoke of a time when Fili had taken the blame for him when Dis had caught Kili steeling a slice of cake.

This time, unlike others, I stayed wide awake and fed upon the stories he told me.

* * *

'Am I the only one noticing that the landscape is getting a little, er...worse for wear?'

Bofur, who had sat in front of me on his trotting pony had risen his head and said, 'Aye. Barren and burnt, it looks to me. Dragon fire can do the deadliest things, especially if there is no one here to mend the earth'.

And the earth _was _broken. The more we had traveled up the river, the more we could see that the trees stopped growing and the ground became rockier. Everything seemed to become more _real - _that this was our destination, this is what had become of the kingdom I had heard so much about.

'The land surrounding Erebor was once fair and green,' said Balin, his voice quiet as he rode upon his pony in front of myself and a few of the others. He inclined his head toward the mountain.

We looked out to the cracked earth, the blackened stumps of trees and the bleak, uneven land as the Mountain drew nearer. Atop my pony (Jimmy), I had been able to see the Lonely Mountain drawing closer and closer, standing tall and curving into the desolate land below. _There's a dragon in there. A living, breathing dragon. Erebor had an army to defend themselves against Smaug, what makes you think that a handful of Dwarves and a Hobbit can defeat him?_

I chose to ignore these thoughts, only focusing on the steering of Jimmy and the approaching Mountain. The River Running ran (hahahaha) toward the Front Gate of Erebor, but we had slanted away from it on our ponies. Thorin had said that, obviously, we couldn't just walk through the Front Door, and the key was used for the Back Door, wherever that was.

Which, you know, had been exactly our problem. _Where the hell was the Back Door?_

Alas, we kept riding along, quieter than ever. I rode nearest to Fili and Kili, as I usually did. They spoke in low voices to one another, and I had caught musings of what they spoke of - how large Smaug was, what Erebor looked like on the inside, whether the Arkenstone still lingered with the rest of the dragons guarded treasure.

These were things that I hadn't even bothered to wonder, upon other things. When I thought about it realistically, any of us could die in this battle, in this burglary. But when I thought about it _fictionally..._well, the movie wouldn't kill off any characters, would it? I mean, we _had_ to reclaim Erebor. It was...it was just _right. _After everything, it would have been a slight anti-climax, right?

Then again, I knew, quite literally, _nothing._

'We are approaching Ravenhill,' said Thorin, from the front of the group. He had been especially quiet and brooding since we had gotten the ponies from the Men of Laketown. 'It lays on the end of the Southern Spur of the Mountain, I remember. We should carry on past it, to the Western side of the spur and make our first camp there'.

'Aye. We don't want to linger too close to the Front Gate,' agreed Dwalin, nodding to Thorin.

'What's Ravenhill?' I inquired.

'The watch-post,' said Fili, before Thorin could even open his mouth. 'The Dwarves built it, but the ravens used to reside there. That's why it's called _Raven_hill'. He looked quickly to Thorin, who'd turned to look over his shoulder at his nephew, thick brows raised. 'What? Kili and I _would _listen to your lessons when we were younger, despite popular opinion'.

'You have such little faith in us, Uncle,' said Kili, and I looked to catch the quick smile that he shared with Fili.

'You exaggerate,' said Thorin gruffly, though he turned away with a little smile. After that, small conversation rose within the rest of the group, but nothing _too _loud. We were all very aware of both Smaug and the fact that it would be much easier for any Orc to find us now that we were on dry land. My eyes lingered on Thorin for a while more, watching him grasp Bilbo's shoulders - the Hobbit rode next to him - and point to something in the distance.

'Toward that valley is the Front Gate, and just outside the Front Gate-'

Balin cut across the King, his word a breath of remembrance and longing. 'Dale'. He breathed in deeply. 'Ah, Master Baggins, there is none like the City of Dale - or how it once was. Markets renowned throughout Middle Earth, Men would travel to buy from those markets from far and wide. I hope to one day see it as it once was'.

Bilbo paused and looked out toward the sloping Mountain, to where the Front Gate was hidden as we rounded the Western side of the Southern Spur. 'So do I,' said the Hobbit.

I would have felt like a bit of a twat is I had agreed with him, so instead I kept my musings to myself. Honestly, I was a little gutted that I hadn't seen Erebor when it was at its fullest. I guess that those who either could not remember it or had never seen it felt around a hundred times worse than I had. Fili and Kili, especially.

By the time we had reached the place that Thorin called camp - a place beneath the grey cliffs - he was already ordering Balin, Bilbo, Fili and Kili to go and search out the Front Gate and the land to the South. Of course, Fili and Kili had agreed wholeheartedly, too excited for words at the thought of exploring the home that they were never given as children. Balin just seemed a little dazed at being back, while Bilbo seemed to go along with anything that Thorin said.

Before leaving, Kili gave me a kiss and a cheeky smile, to which I couldn't help but grin back at. 'Look after yourself,' I said, only a _little _nervous for him. 'Remember that there's a _dragon-'_

'I _know'._

As they left behind anything that they would not need, I caught the eye of Fili and mouthed, '_LOOK AFTER HIM',_ and pointed madly to Kili, who was talking alongside Bilbo. Fili just squinted, laughed and then whacked a very confused Kili on the back.

They left behind the rest of us to set up the camp. Knowing that it would only take a few of them, I slunk back to stand beside Thorin, who gazed up at the great slope above us, up to the heavy and long walls of the Mountain. For a moment, he seemed not to notice me at all.

Until I let out of a pointed and loud cough, that is.

He looked to me, brows raised and the corner of his mouth up in a shrewd smile. 'Can I help you?' he inquired, hands linking behind his back. I never really appreciated just how much Thorin resembled his nephews until now, when I was so close to him. He looked like both, but somehow his nose and jaw resembled Fili just a little bit more.

'I just wondered how you were,' I asked, copying his stance and linking my hands behind my back as well. I'd looked up to the Mountain, thinking about Smaug and how scared Bilbo must be at the thought of walking into that Mountain alone. 'It must be wei- odd, being back and all. After so long,' I added, holding Thorin's blue eyed, steady gaze.

He tore that gaze away from me, staring up once again. The look on his eye was admiration for the hulking form of the Lonely Mountain, as well as something else. The kind of look I got when I thought of my mum and my dad and my cat. Homesickness. A sadness tinged with want. 'Yes,' he agreed. 'It _is_ odd being back, after such a long time. I wish only now to see the halls of which my family ruled. And the Arkenstone,' he added. 'The Heart of the Mountain'.

I'd wondered briefly if dragons pooped, and if so whether we would be in for a surprise or not.

'I have longed to look upon its beauty again,' mused Thorin, eyes wandering to the pink sky. Above, clouds began to waft over the peak of the mountain, hiding it from view. 'My Grandfather thought that, upon finding it, the Mountain was telling him that he was the rightful ruler'. Thorin paused and looked to me. 'You will fall in love with Erebor, just as many have already done so. Built deep within the Mountain we stand beside now, its halls wait. Even though I grew there, I would still lose my way with all of the staircases and the hallways, going further down into the Mountain. And the walls,' he breathed in deeply, a ghost of a smile playing on his face. 'Sewn with gems and gold, they were. Deep into the depths of the Mountain-'

A quick burst of laughter came from Ori and Nori, both of whom were quickly shut up by their brother, Dori. Thorin's eyes lingered on them before fluttering down to me.

'I understand,' I told him, a kind of gentleness in my voice that I reserved for only those that deserved it. 'I lost my home too. Lost everything, just like you did. Admittedly I didn't go through the horror that you did - seeing my home burnt to the ground, seeing my people suffer. But, you know, _I get it. _And because of that, I really cannot wait to see you as King Under the Mountain, Thorin. You deserve it, dude'.

He bowed his head a little. 'Thank you, Millie'.

After that, I'd shimmied off in the general direction of the meal that Bombur was preparing, glad that I'd had that talk with Thorin. He continued to stand where he was, looking up at the Mountain and off toward where Bilbo, Kili, Fili and Balin had gone, waiting for them to return.

I sometimes wondered whether Thorin held more affection for the Hobbit than he cared to admit.

'Do you think we will ever see Mister Gandalf again?' inquired Ori, biting into his bread as we all settled down, noting that the sky was darkening. 'He said that he had business to take care of, but...'

'_I _think we will,' I stated, crossing my legs. 'He'd miss me too much, otherwise'.

Nori snorted into his plate.

It was then that the others had arrived back to the camp, very serious looking and dirty. Balin joined Dwalin's side, noting to Thorin that, 'Judging from the state of things, the beast still lays within the Mountain'. Apparently they had been forced to hide behind a rock, just in case Smaug was keeping watch down the side of the Mountain.

'We saw nothing else,' said Fili, taking the plate of food that we handed to him. 'It doesn't look like anyone has approached the Mountain for years'.

'Don't really blame them,' scoffed Nori quietly, earning a deep sigh from Dori.

Kili sat down beside myself and Fili, eating greedily and quickly. 'I spoke to Thorin,' I told him, watching with a wrinkled nose as he ate. His fingernails were caked with even more dirt and his hair was matted with dried crumbs of soil. 'He doesn't hate me half as much as I thought he did'.

Kili's mouth curved into an amused little smile. 'Miracles _do _happen, it would seem'.

I snorted. 'Charming'. I studies his face, lit by the firelight. 'What did you think then, of the Front Gate?' I had been truly curious. I hadn't yet seen it, but apparently the entrance to Erebor was huge and almost foreboding.

Kili paused to smile, sharing a look with Fili. 'Beyond anything I've seen of Dwarven architecture. It was huge, and there were two statues on either side of the Gate of two Dwarven warriors'. He paused, allowing Fili to carry on.

'It was odd, to see the home we have heard so much about since we were children,' supplied the blonde Heir. 'Balin was especially awed by it. He hasn't seen it since Smaug came'.

Balin had been talking Thorin, discussing what he had seen and if there were any signs of the dragon lurking beneath the surface of the Mountain, whether it looked as if he had been out in the recent past.

The next day went quite the same as the last. We rounded the Western side and continued to a smaller, thinner valley were it was grassy and looked less like Smaug had found his way to it. Thorin said that we would make this our final camp, as the Back Door (the freakin' invisible door) was somewhere atop the cliffs that constantly shadowed our camp.

I had begun to feel the weight of the quest, as we sat in the shaded, grassy valley, the ponies munching on whatever grass was left. Everyone was fairly quiet, brooding and impatient. If there's one thing that you can say about Dwarves, it's there stubborn impatience - once they are impatient, they won't _stop _being impatient.

I suppose that's why I fit in so perfectly.

'You'd think the door would just _take a hint _and appear, you know?' I complained, lying flat against the grass, my coat discarded beside me. My statement was met with silence, so I had tried another approach. 'Wouldn't it be terrifying if turtles could run?'

'You do talk some nonsense, Millie,' said Dori, brushing down his pony.

'Or if a snake had legs. God, that would be messed up,' I snorted, yanking at the grass and staring up at the grey sky. 'When will Thorin and Dwalin be back - they've been gone for _ages'._

'When they have found any signs of the Door,' reasoned Gloin. 'Until then, they will continue to search, lass'.

'Or until they've given up and followed their stomachs back to camp,' shot back Oin, earning a quiet laugh from the remaining Dwarves. They all seemed pretty intent on sharpening their swords, brushing down the ponies or practicing their archery. Considering that Dwalin was out on the cliffs above us, I didn't have to do any training, thank _God-_

'Kili,' said Nori, sharpening his sword somewhere to my right. 'Spar with the lass, she needs to train'.

...Seriously?

I sighed and pushed myself onto my elbows, considering Kili with a level look. 'Yeah, go on then,' I shrugged, clambering to my feet. 'I still need to practice, especially now that we're here'. I cast an uneasy glance up to the Mountain, wondering whether I would have to use all of these new moves that I had learned over the past few months.

If only I had _known._

Kili stood before me with a tight jaw and hard eyes, and I could tell that he had been thinking, recently, about my refusal to stay in Laketown. Training with me, it seemed, only brought back those worries.

The training session was probably my hardest yet. That's saying something, considering that my training partner was normally the gruff and rough Dwalin. I think the others noticed how forward and fast Kili was being with his jabs, because most of them stopped to watch, avid in their attention. I had tried to focus on my sword and my arm. Of Kili and his moves. Of my feet and where I was placing them. I imagined that Kili really _was _trying to kill me, just so I would focus that little bit more.

I had thought of that training session as an actual fight to prove myself. If I could defend myself for a long time - could impress him with what I had learnt - then maybe he wouldn't be so worried at the thought of me being caught up in any fight with any Orc that may come up, should we run into Azog again. Maybe he would _see._

The only sound was the sound of metal scraping, of my heavy breathing, of the Dwarves intakes of breath as Kili's sword came close to knocking mine from my hands. It was in that session that I first ducked, and this only ended with me nearly falling onto my butt and having to hastily draw up my sword to block Kili's blow, one of my knees on the ground and the other supporting me.

I'd stopped the blow.

Kili heaved a great sigh, staring at me through the gaps in our connected swords. I clenched my jaw, wondering how the moment had turned so sour so quickly.

It would not be the first time that move saved me from an attack, though it would transpire in a slightly different way, at another time.

But, you know, _spoilers._

* * *

**I was going to update last night, but my sister and I lost my mum's credit card (lolwhoops), but it has been found, so all is good once again. I hope you like this chapter, it's a build up to Smaug and all that, as well as refining Millie's fighting skills. **

**Thank you _so much _for the reviews. I just look at the review count sometimes, and I literally cannot believe that's for _my _story. Gah, thanks a lot!**


	30. The Bump And The Back Door

'We've _found _it!'

I jumped, having been fixing the sleeve of Ori's shirt and stabbing myself on the tip of my finger with a needle at Kili's sudden outburst. 'Ow!' I yelped, hastening to suck away the bead of blood. I had thought distantly of asking Oin to use some of his _oin_tment (that still gets me) for some of the injury's that I had taken to my hands from sewing and fixing things.

Kili dangled over the ledge above us, dark hair splaying and a grin upon his face. He, Fili and Bilbo had gone off earlier that day in such of the Back Door, leaving the rest of the camp to lounge about in the steadily chilling weather. I'd trained with Dwalin for a little while, but had, in the end, grown too exhausted to carry on, much to the Dwarf's displeasure.

'The Back Door,' called Kili once again, kneeling to stare at us over the ledge and taking in our blank, tired looks. 'I think we've found it!'

Thorin had stood from his seat on a rock and stepped forward, head tilted back to eye his nephew. There was hush, a bated breath. 'Are you sure?' inquired Thorin gruffly. 'Kili-'

'I am _sure_, Thorin,' said Kili. 'Bilbo and Fili are waiting there now - it's _exactly _what we've been looking for!' This, apparently, had been enough for Thorin's approval. Not wanting to leave anyone behind just in case it _was_ the door, he had ordered that we all get on our way and follow Kili.

I had slung my bag over my shoulder and pulled on my gloves (finger still hurt, by the way), while the rest of the company pushed swords into scabbards, made sure that the ponies were not to run off in our absence and tried to get Bombur to join us up on the ledge where Kili waited. Both Kili and Dwalin had been tying a rope around a boulder upon the rocky ledge, ensuring that it was tight enough to take our weights.

'I'm too _fat,' _moaned Bombur. 'I won't fit on the ledge, and that rope _certainly _won't carry me'. He crossed his arms defiantly and sat heavily on the ground. Although I didn't like the idea idea of leaving him there, I had to agree.

'Stop _moping_,' said Bofur, moving to kick his brother lightly in the back. 'Y'coming with us, no point in leaving you here if we _do _find the door, is there? Unless you _want _to hang back'.

Thorin shoved his sword into his scabbard roughly and rose forward, a look of determination evident on his face. Ever since Kili had announced the news of finding the Back Door, Thorin had been quiet and thoughtful. 'Bofur, stay with Bombur until we call for you. If it is not the door, there is no worry in getting all of the company up on the ledge. If it _is _the Back Door, then we shall come back for both of you, and you _will __both _mount the rope'.

Bombur had looked both sullen and, in my, opinion, whipped. 'Aye,' he agreed with a sigh, while Bofur had plonked himself down next to his brother and 'tsked' at him.

'The rope is ready,' called Dwalin, tugging at the said rope and looking over his shoulder. 'Millie, come. You go first'. _Dear Lord, the guy _can _be a gentlemen. _

Deciding not to give the whole 'just because I'm a girl' eye roll, I had settled with just shutting up and doing what Dwalin had said. Making sure that my bag wouldn't swing off of my shoulder and land on an unsuspecting Dwarf, I had then allowed Dwalin to tie the thick rope around my waist, give a little tug and allow Kili to begin hefting me up.

There was a great huff from up above, and with my feet dangling above the ground, I had said, 'If you say I'm heavy, I will legitimately _push _you off that ledge, Dwarf'.

Below me, Nori had snorted.

I held tightly onto the rope and thought of mine and Kili's training session. It hadn't been mentioned since, but the fact that each of the Dwarves had seen our domestic troubles had caused me a butt-load of worry. I mean, sure, he was still fretting about me getting into any trouble or whatever, but that fight had only shown just how..._worried _both of us were.

I don't know. I don't really like thinking about it.

Once Kili had pulled me up as close as he could, I quickly threw my bag onto the ledge while simultaneously reaching for his hand. With a solid look, he grabbed onto my forearm and dragged me over the edge and I had rolled onto my back, snorting at his comment of, 'Graceful, as always'.

This went on for another fifteen minutes. You know, throw the rope down, tie a Dwarf up, pull them up, throw the rope down. The hardest was probably Bifur, who babbled in Ancient Dwarfish and refused to let anyone help him up onto the ledge. Bloody Dwarven pride and stubbornness.

The last was Thorin. After that, we had all lingered for a moment, making sure that Bombur and Bofur were okay, before starting our walk to the Back Door, Kili leading with the line of us behind him.

* * *

The path wound around south, and we had been forced to cling to the edge of the Mountain as we tiptoed around the corner, following Kili back to where he had left Fili and Bilbo. The wall of the Mountain became rockier, and the floor less flat and steady beneath our feet. It _had _looked like a path had once been there though, and when I said this, Thorin had said,

'It looks as if rough steps once stood upon this path too. That's a good sign'.

And heck, it had. _Really _rough steps. They had hardly even looked like steps, actually. I would call them slight indents into the rock. Yes, that sounds much better.

The sky had been a grey colour that day, and briefly that morning there had been a small flurry of snow as we had awoken to the minus temperatures of the Lonely Mountain. Upon my dramatic statement of, '_Winter is coming', _Balin had looked mildly up at the sky and said, 'Aye, it is, Millie'.

No one understands me.

'It's going quite high, isn't it?' said Dori, palms still pressed against the wall as he leaned over a little, just to get a better look. I had agreed with him with a little frightened grunt, only then looking down to see just how high we had gotten. 'How much further?'

I had almost missed Kili's reply as a small gust of wind blew my braid into my mouth, causing me to splutter. Like when most comical things happened to me, I heard the distant snort of Nori's chuckling somewhere behind me. Stupid starfish.

'Not much,' answered Kili shortly as he kept an eye on where he was standing. I had noticed his hand hovering behind him, as if reaching for me without quite knowing where I was. With my boots tripping a little over the pebbled and rocky surface of the pathway, I had reached for him, brushing my gloved once against his. I hadn't let anyone see this, of course. I had been too worried that they would make fun of me. Or worse, Kili.

Momentarily, his hand had caught mine, only to let go after a small squeeze.

'-it's Durin's Day, Balin. If this isn't the door, our Quest to reclaim Erebor will have been for nothing-'

With a bitter little look, I had cut off Dwalin's no-so-quiet voice. Of course, this worry had been on all of our minds, which was why Thorin had been sending out more and more search parties, mostly consisting of Fili, Kili and Bilbo - the quietest and sneakiest of the lot, he had said.

The rocks built up to a bit that Kili told us we would have to climb upon, but after that the pathway was smoother and ascended upward and, sure enough, soon enough we had seen Fili and Bilbo beating their palms against a wall. Fili had even kicked it.

'What did the wall do to you, huh?' I had called up to them, following Kili forward with a witty smile on my face and a carefree little hop over a step-

Which ended horribly, might I add.

In the process of said hop, I had landed awkwardly and therefore slipped, my feet not quite knowing were to catch themselves on the uneven ground. It wasn't even a graceful fall either, if there _was_ such a thing. My hand had scrambled for anything to grab onto and, with nothing to grab quickly enough, the top of my head had collided rather hard with the stone wall.

To make matters worse, I hadn't even passed out to save myself the embarrassment of facing the others.

'Oh my _God!' _I yelped, grabbing at my head and trying to not trip again. Dori, bless him, had caught me around the waist with fumbling, awkward hands and a surprised _oof_. 'My freakin' _head-!'_

'Millie, be _quiet!' _hissed Thorin, apparently the only one who was aware of the dragon who lurked beyond the walls.

'I'm so sorry,' I babbled, eyes watering with the sheer pain. 'Just go on ahead of me,' I had said, sinking onto my butt and mourning the bump that was sure to erupt on the top of my head. The Dwarves, in all their sympathy, had done as asked. One by one, they had stepped over me - a few of them had even patted me awkwardly on the head, jumping at my quiet wail.

Not only had I been miffed at the hurt, but I had been miffed at myself. Yet another reason for Thorin to snap at my loud and not so subtle ways.

'How can someone be so terrible at walking in a straight line?' inquired Kili, now ducking down to kneel before me. We sat only a small way from the rest of the company, and I could hear them talking of Durin's Day, the Back Door and others things concerning the whereabouts of the moon and the sun in the sky. Carefully, Kili had taken my head in his hands._  
_

Grumpily, I had replied with a defensive, 'We were walking on a _cliff_ edge'.

'That is true,' replied Kili, though a ghost of a smile had played on his face, just in front of mine. 'Are you hurt?'

I sent him a bland look.

'Right. Come - sit while we figure out whether this really _is _the Back Door-'

I shook my head, but had regretted the action immediately. 'Nah, Thorin will get all disapproving if I just lounge back after a small hit on the head. I'll stand'.

I mean, Thorin was probably less than pleased that I'd just given up after a small hit on the head, right? So maybe I could show him that I was all tough and ready if I just got to my feet and showed him that, yes, I was hurt, but I could still march on.

Oh Millie, you warrior, you. Gandalf would be proud.

* * *

Standing was a horrible idea. Because of standing, I had then been forced to _continue _standing while pretending to be interested in the fact that the bloody door was not opening, while _also _worrying about the fact that I probably had a concussion.

I mean, there wasn't even a _door _anyway. It was just a wall and a load of rock going inward, like the curve of a cave. On top of that, the sky was darkening with twilight and many of the company were growing annoyed at the lack of _anything _happening. Thorin was especially grumpy at the prospect of not really knowing whether the door would open when the light came, or if it had really been the door at all.

If it wasn't, then it was a wasted opportunity that we could not repeat. At least not for a while.

The rest of the company were murmuring to themselves and to others, some standing and some sitting. Dori, Nori and Ori were fighting about something, though I assumed it had something to with Nori egging Ori on, while Dori took the role of mother hen. Dwalin, Balin and Thorin were conversing next to the smooth, grey stone wall, stern looks on their hard faces.

As I had sat atop a boulder (screw standing), head in my hands, fingers had come from behind and gently pressed against the top of my head. I had known straight away that they sought out the injury, and had quickly ducked away with a grimace and a grumpy look up at Fili.

The blonde cocked a brow. 'I merely wanted to see whether the injury was as bad as you make out it is,' he reasoned, reaching forward again. Not liking his tone, I had scowled.

I ducked again.

'Did you _see _me face-plant that wall? I think we can pretty much say that the injury is bad, Fili,' I shot back, aware of the Dwarves all resting against rock and wall around us. Kili spoke with his Uncle, while Bilbo continued to gaze out to the mist that had drifted to the lower parts of the Mountain, thoughtful. I had wondered if Bombur and Bofur were okay, and whether they wondered where _we _were.

Probably not. _They'd _been left with all of the food.

Fili had snorted, mirth in his eyes. 'You _did _hit it rather hard. Are you feeling well - your sight is fine, and you're able to walk in a straight line?'

I gave him a shifty look. 'You're being _nice'._

Fili straightened up, affronted. 'I _am _nice!'

An arm had been slung around his shoulder then, and attached to that arm was the smiling Kili. Honestly, only _he _cold find something to smile about in a situation as _boring _as this one. 'You have your moments,' considered the youngest Heir of Durin, tilting his head in mock thought.

I snorted, Fili huffed.

'Thorin's becoming more and more agitated. What if the moonlight does not cause the door to appear like the moon letters said they would?' inquired Kili, retracting his arm from his brothers shoulders. His voice had lowered somewhat, all of us aware of Thorin's short temper as of late. 'We have the key, we just need the _door'._

_'Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the key-hole,' _said Fili, his voice plain as he recited the moon letters written on Thorin's Grandfathers map. 'The stone looks grey to me, and I'm sure that this is where the door is, considering the pathway and the steps'.

'If not...' reasoned Kili, dark eyes boring into his brothers with a significant look.

'We will come to that problem if it occurs,' replied Fili. I'd never really seen Fili and Kili as looking alike, with their polar opposites looks of night (the dark Kili) and day (the light Fili), but at the moment they had both looked fairly similar in the waning sunlight. I'd hardly noticed that the sky had darkened so-

'Moon and sun,' said Kili, staring hard at the sky with an almost startled look. 'The last light of Durin's Day-'

We all turned quickly, each Dwarf hearing precisely what Kili had said. The sky was a pinkish colour as the evening sun descended, and the pale moon rose into the sky. Silence. That's all that had reigned at that precise moment. Utter silence as one thought had run through each of our minds, one thought concerning the rest of the moon letters.

'The thrush!' Bilbo practically jumped out of his skin as the old looking bird swooped from somewhere up above, doing something quite similar to what I had done: it had face planted the grey wall where the door should have been. I jumped to my feet, grabbing onto Kili's arm in all of my excitement. Where moonlight had shone onto the door, and where the thrush had pecked it's way into, there came a small hole.

I made a startled noise that sounded, when written, something along the lines of, 'Asdfghjkl'. Flapping my hands around my face I had said, 'It's _happening_, oh my-' I put my hands over my mouth as Bilbo had cut me off.

'Thorin!' snapped Bilbo, very aware of the moon and the sun and oh my God, _we were running out of time. _'The key, there's not much time - _Thorin!'_

I had never heard Bilbo talk to Thorin in such a tone, but the King, apparently, did not care. He had swept the intricately designed key from a chain around his neck, practically _throwing _it at the nervous and excited Bilbo Baggins.

'Put it in!' ordered Dwalin, rough voice hardly hiding how anxious he was, like all of us.

With my hands still over my mouth, I had removed them quickly to say a squeaky, 'That's what she said!' Before slamming them over my mouth again, watching anxiously as Bilbo, throwing himself at the wall, had done exactly what Dwalin had requested. The key had fit into the hole, which was three feet above the ground, and with a sharp twist there was a _snap._

Sun sank and moon rose, the company waited with baited breath.

Long, silvery looking lines appeared where a part of the wall had given away. They cracked along the stone, five feet high and three feet broad. Bilbo pulled away the key, watching as the lines cracked and sprung like _magic, _glowing and weaving. They shaped out a door, big enough for any of us to slip through. Then, with a deep sigh, the door had swung inward.

What stared back at us was a deep, endless tunnel that seemed to seep and yawn darkness, leading all the way down into Erebor.

* * *

**Quite a short and simple chapter, but that's only because of what's to come. Gah, I'm so excited to write about Smaug and Erebor. Considering that the book can be quite vague, I'm going off on my own tangent and imagination with a lot of things. I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Thank you so much for the reviews, by the way. I know that I say this every time, but some of the reviews that I get are so lovely. Seriously, thank you so, so, _so _much. You make me feel so much better about myself and, golly, you're all such lovely and beautiful readers.**


	31. Smaug

'...Should we throw a rock down there or something?'

'_Why_ would we do that, Millie?'

'Imagine how creepy it would be if the rock got thrown back'.

We had all stood there for a moment, staring down at the darkness that delved deep into the Mountain. None of us had quite known what to do, nor how loud to be. Like most things, my way of dealing with it had been not-so-funny comments and hardy bluntness.

'Well, go on then Bilbo,' I muttered finally, nudging the Hobbit toward the dark doorway. Bilbo stuttered and froze, edging away from me. 'Hobbit like holes, don't they? Or is that a little racist?'

Thorin spoke, his voice erupting out of the quiet. They'd all been momentarily flummoxed, I think. I mean, we'd done it - we'd reached the Mountain and found the Back Door, we'd used the key given to Thorin by Gandalf. We stared down into the depths of Erebor where Smaug waited. Where a _dragon _waited. 'Millie is right, Master Hobbit. This is why you were brought upon this quest, is it not? You are our Burglar, and a Hobbit full of courage and an exceeding amount of luck. This is the time for your to fulfill your service'.

Oh Thorin, you emotionally demented fool, you.

Bilbo had bristled and straightened up, the air of offended. 'If you think that I will be the _first _to go into that tunnel, then you are _very _wrong indeed, Thorin. I have already gotten this company out of a number of messes, and risked my life more times than I can count. For those times, I think I am already owed some reward'. The Hobbit paused and sighed. 'But, as my father said, 'third time pays for all', and somehow I don't think I'll refuse'.

With a stiff neck and tight lips, Bilbo had said, 'I will go in, but I will not go in alone. Now who is coming with me?'

The company was embarrassingly quiet. After a moment, I had given a small shrug and had been about to step forward to offer Bilbo a hand down the tunnel, but Kili had caught my hand tightly, almost _painfully. _My fingers flexed in his and I'd glared up at him, both startled and annoyed. He opened his mouth, still looking away from me.

I yanked on his arm before he could speak. 'If you will not let me, then I will _certainly _not let you,' I'd hissed up at him. Fili cast a blue eyed gazed to our stoic forms, catching the message that we were not to delve into the Mountain. I'd watched as he had caught Thorin's stern gaze, a powerful stare that was directed at the three of us. Apparently, _none_ of us would allow the other to go down the dark tunnel.

'I will,' said Balin, who had stepped toward Bilbo with his hands crossed over his beard and stomach. 'I will go down the tunnel a bit with you, so I can call for help if you need it. I cannot go into Smaug's chamber with you, Master Hobbit. I have no magic ring like yours,' he said. His face had been kind, as it always had been. 'And I have an inkling that he will remember the scent of a Dwarf'.

Dwalin looked almost worried for his brother, though the gruffness covered up this emotion quickly. Instead, there was respect and there was pride.

_Aw._

Bilbo nodded, though he had looked utterly terrified. 'Right. Yes. That sounds...good. Yes'. I'd never really considered just how _cute _Bilbo could be until that moment. He'd looked small and nervous - very _Hobbit-_like. 'I suppose I should get Sting - oh, already on my belt'. He continued to laugh in a very nervous, very hysterical manner.

'Bilbo man,' I started, loosening my hold on Kili's hand. 'I'm sure you'll be fine - you'll be invisible, won't you?'

'Smaug will actually have a rather good sense of smell,' said Nori from within the huddle of us. '_Although_ he'll only be used to the smell of Dwarf, Master Baggins. There's no need to worry,' he added hastily, once I had turned to give him a furiously blatant look of _shut up. _

'You have the ring?' inquired Thorin, facing the Hobbit with such intensity that I had thought, for a moment, that maybe we should leave the two alone with a bottle of wine and a three course meal. 'Be as quiet as you can, he may still be in a deep slumber. See what it is like down there - he will be with the gold, and that is where this tunnel should lead. Be safe, Bilbo'.

Bilbo gave a heartfelt, quick nod and shared a look with Balin, who swept his arm in the direction of the tunnel. Both had looked back at the company for a moment, and I had truly wondered, for a split second, whether they would be okay. That was the first time that any of us would be venturing into Erebor and honestly, I don't think they they had truly digested the fact that a _bloody dragon _was in the Mountain.

Like.

A _dragon._

But then, they were gone.

'Now we wait,' said Thorin. I'll always marvel at how he could say the simplest thing, but with his _deep _voice it would always sound so..._majestic. _The company seemed to disperse with a sigh, each sitting against the rock and floor, some plopping down to a part of the lower rock. 'Millie, how is your head?' inquired Thorin.

Momentarily stumped, I'd kind of gawked at him. Despite the fact that it had still pricked with pain, I'd answered with a quick, 'Yeah, yeah. It's fine, thank you'. He'd asked if I was okay! Gosh, I'd felt like the most popular girl in school. Thorin had nodded once and continued to stand, turning away from us with a stern look on his face.

Or perhaps that was just his _face._

Kili presented me with a meaningful look and a tug toward a rock to sit on. 'I've told you many times that he cares about you, just as much as the rest of us. Do you believe me now?'

I sat on the pointy rock and dropped my bag, wincing. 'Maybe he's just worried about me dying under his protection. Might look a little bad, you know?'

Kili had rolled his eyes, gently touching the top of my head and smoothing over my hair where the bump was. 'You're exaggerating. Dwarves are as hard as rock and as sturdy as steel. You won't _die'_.

'Never really heard steel be called _sturdy _before-' I scoffed at his unhappy look at me missing the point entirely 'Sorry. Gosh, d'you reckon Bilbo and Balin will be okay? Like, crap, Smaug's a _dragon_'.

'I am aware of that, Millie'.

I considered him with a bland look as he sat next to me, pulling out his water and taking a long sip. 'You're a sarcastic little shit today, aren't you?'

As planned, he had choked on his water, earning a disapproving look from Thorin. 'Millie,' he said, half laughing and half choking. 'You can't-'

'Yes, I can,' I replied straightening my back and staring hard at the tunnel. Something shifted. 'To you, I can. Balin's back!' I said, forgetting our conversation. True enough, the grey haired Dwarf had returned from the depths of the tunnel, burn free. 'Where's Bilbo?'

The same question was asked from the rest of the company. Balin held up a hand and sighed, pushing past Nori and Gloin and planting himself on the rock. 'He made me come back up after we were halfway down the tunnel - said it would be safer for me'. Balin considered Thorin. 'I believe that we should be giving Master Baggins a hefty share of that reward'.

Thorin nodded and grunted. 'He is in the beasts chamber now?'

Balin tilted his head. 'I assume so, yes'.

We were all very quiet after that. Balin continued to sit, Thorin continued to stand, Ori wrote in his journal and Fili soon sat beside Kili and I. The night was cold and the moon was silvery. Because we were so high on the Mountain, the stars looked even prettier, as if our distance before had dulled their beauty. Here, in Middle Earth, I always wondered why the stars were so different.

A part of me had wondered whether they were, like, _magical _or something like that.

I'd hopped to my feet, wondering how to pass the time as the stars shifted and the moon moved. 'We would hear it, wouldn't we?' I asked, standing at the edge of the path, just above some of the other Dwarves who sat on the lower rock. 'If Bilbo was in trouble - we would hear Smaug having a temper tantrum?'

'Aye,' answered Dwalin, looking up from the sharpening of his sword. 'Something that big would make a lot of noise'.

Thorin nodded. 'The day he came, even from how far away he was, you could _hear _his wings and his breath from the depths of Erebor. We will know if the Hobbit needs our aid'.

I had nodded, chewing the side of my mouth. What would we do if he _did _need our aid?

But then, something had happened to the Earth beneath us, the walls _around _us. Something had shifted, like, for a moment, Middle Earth had stalled and propelled itself forward. With this, came the Dwarves nearly falling out of their sitting positions, Thorin catching himself with his arms spread out, and myself nearly toppling on top of the Dwarves beneath me.

Luckily, Fili had caught my wrist and drawn me in quickly.

'Was that an earthquake?!'

I wasn't too sure who had asked it, but all I could think was _oh God, he's awake. _Balin apparently had the same thought as me, because he had looked quickly over his shoulder and said, 'I think that's the noise you were looking for, lass'.

Fili, in his frozen horror, held onto my tighter. 'We have to go!' he said gruffly, looking at Thorin. 'Thorin, Bilbo is in trouble-' I drew away from Fili, eyes wide in agreement. The Earth shook again. Fili swore in Dwarfish. 'Smaug is _awake'._

We'd looked at each other in matching horror, all of us.

Awake. The dragon - the fearsome, murderous dragon was _awake_. He knew that we were here, Bilbo had woken him up. But how? The ring made him invisible and the Hobbit was naturally quiet.

Feeling sick and scared, I'd watched as Ori jumped to his feet as the Earth moved once again. For a moment, he looked as if he was about to join in our mad protest, but at that moment something tripped him up as he stood in front of the tunnel, where the sounds of shifting, grumbling and growling seeped out. In a flash, Bilbo had appeared, wearing his royal blue coat and carrying a golden cup.

'Bilbo!' said Dori. 'Is that-?'

After that, there was a great uproar of horror as Bilbo gasped out,

'The ring, it fell off. He _saw _me take the cup and chased me, but by the time I put it back on he was already awake! He chased me through the treasure!' Bilbo had looked at us, eyes wide. 'He's coming _out of _the Mountain - we need to hide, quickly!'

Bifur had stood, frantic. The axe in his head had glinted in the moonlight. 'Bofur,' he had said. 'Bombur!'

There was an intake of breath.

'Oh, _God,' _I choked, leaned heavily toward Kili. We all jumped and turned as the sound of a roar tore through the depths of the Mountain, though it had sounded far away. Thorin, taking charge, had quickly ordered for Bilbo, Balin, Kili, Fili and myself to get inside of the tunnel, ordering the rest to help haul Bofur and Bombur up the rope. 'If we run,' he had said. 'It will not take so long'.

And shit, had they _run. _While it had taken ten or fifteen minutes for us to stumble along the pathway to the Back Door earlier that day, that night it had taken maybe two minutes for the sprinting Dwarves to reach Bombur and Bofur.

I'd lingered near the half open door, heart hammering at the sounds of rumbling and the scraping of rock. 'He'll be coming around this side of the Mountain soon,' I'd said, hopping from one foot to the other. 'Jesus, where are they?'

Bilbo was probably the most nervous of us all, still in shock from his ordeal. I could only assume, secretly, that he had taken the cup in a moment of desperation and had been caught. Smaug, from what I had heard, guarded his treasure with jealousy and greed, much like how Thorin's Grandfather had. _Dragon sickness, _I had reminded myself. _That's why it's called _dragon _sickness._

'Bilbo,' I inquired, looking over my shoulder. Kili and Fili were leaning heavily against the walls of the tunnel, while Balin lingered near my side. 'How big was he?'

Bilbo, who stood straight in the middle of the tunnel, had said, 'Beyond anything Thorin told us of. And his _voice-' _The Hobbit shuddered.

It _talks?_

My eyes shifted from Bilbo to the long tunnel behind him. The sounds of shifting and roaring seemed to have disappeared and faded, and Fili's worried words of, 'He might be out of the Mountain by now', sent my stomach plummeting.

'Where are - _Jesus!' _Bombur had burst through the door, panting and red faced with Bofur pushing at him from behind. He pushed past me without an apology, and upon hearing the sounds of rumbling and roaring, I had known precisely why. The tumbling line of Dwarves pushed themselves past myself and Balin and into the tunnel, all breathing hard.

'We saw fire!'

'He's _hunting_ us-'

But, as the door was being pushed shut, I saw that among the many bags that had been dragged into the tunnel, mine was not one of them. And I _know _that it was reckless. I _know _that risking my life for a bag was stupid and idiotic. But that bag, and the chewing gum and the Vaseline and the sewing kit...they were all I'd had left of home. My clothes were gone, replaced with Middle Earthen ones.

'My bag!' I gasped, pushing past the sliding door and tripping over to the rock, ducking ridiculously and ignoring the startled yelps of, 'Millie!' Kili had shot after me, and Bilbo was halfway out of the door when a long, straight shot of fire burst in red and orange and _heat _down the side of the Mountain, along one of the spurs.

The sky lit up with the flames like a firework. Except less exciting and more... terrifying. The land beyond the Mountain lit up and smoke rose in horrifying swirls. Whatever was left to catch fire had most definitely caught fire. I wondered if the people of Laketown could see. Would they help us?

For a moment, we were entranced and _terrified._ Time seemed to stop entirely as I had watched the smokey, orange was further away, swooping down to somewhere near the Front Gate, long, thick and dark against the lit up sky, tale the same length as his own body, screeches tearing from the gaping mouth.

I surged backwards, feeling the heat of his flaming breath spreading down the side of the Mountain, closer and closer to us. Smaug hadn't known where we were, but in the anger he had felt toward the cup being stolen, he had decided to incinerate anything in the hope that his fire would find us.

Kili was already falling backwards as well. He pulled me past the door as it was slammed closed by Bilbo, only just stopping the fire that poured to the rocky clearing where we had all been sitting, maybe an hour ago. The heat poured past us, and then it was gone, leaving only the passing sounds of Smaug's rumbling roars, and the heavy breathing of the company.

With tight eyes, I had clutched my bag.

'_Doh,' _spat Thorin, shoving himself away from the wall. I hadn't known what the word had meant, but now I know it to meal fool. Which, of course, I had been. 'Idiot girl, you could have gotten us all killed!' Thorin's voice was scary when he was having a civil conversation, but when he was shouting it was something entirely different.

'Thorin, leave the girl,' said Dwalin, laying a quick hand on Thorin's shoulder. 'We do not want to attract the beast'.

_The girl._

'Too many times has she thrown herself into these dangerous situations-'

'Thorin!' Kili snapped angrily, standing in front of me .I had clutched the bag even tighter. Jesus, could this _get _any worse? He shouldn't _have _to defend me - I'd been an idiot in running to get my bag, right when a dragon was attacking. Thorin was right to have a go at me._  
_

'Don't,' I said, throwing the bag over my shoulder. 'He's right. I'm an idiot. I shouldn't have gone to get the bag'. I looked to Thorin, shoulders square and chin high. 'It's just...it's all I have left of home, you know?'

Thorin considered me for a moment, before lowering his shoulders and sighing. 'Consider the rest of the company before you do such things, Millie'. I had sighed a little then, as he had turned away. Only because thinking of the others was all I _ever _did.

'Here we are and here we must stay,' rumbled Thorin, looking down to the sinking, dark tunnel. The walls were hard and flat, just like the floor. It was the first Dwarven made structure that I had entered, and it was easy to see that the craftsmanship that went into ensuring the precise height and design of the tunnel was well thought out. 'We should move further down the tunnel in case Smaug decides to breathe upon the door once again'.

Quietly, I had complied. Being smoked alive while sleeping hadn't sounded like the dandiest idea. The rest of the company had squeezed down the passage, taking their bags and their weapons with them. To my pleasure, Kili and Fili had stood either side of me. Fili kind of patted my shoulders, while Kili touched my hand.

_Ah, my boys_.

'That'll be the end of our ponies,' said Gloin, as we mooched down the dark tunnel. Despite how stuffy and warm it was, I found that most of us had been shivering. From shock, I guess. With lowered eyes, I had noticed Dori check over a slight burn mark in Ori's coat with fluttering hands.

Upon sitting down on opposing sides of the wall, the grumbling had started. Apparently this was a specialty of Dwarves, and most of them had figured that it was up to Bilbo to get us out of this mess. The idiots.

'How do we rid ourselves of the dragon now?'

'Aye, he is hunting us from the outside, while we hide on the inside'.

'Perhaps you should not have taken the cup, Master Hobbit. Smaug guards his treasure with jealousy, he was bound to find out that it was lost-'

Bilbo, with his feet crossed awkwardly, had looked up with a particularly startled look of offense. 'I was under the impression that you lot _wanted _me to bring a part of the treasure!' Bilbo drew in his filthy feet. 'I did as was asked, now don't expect me to find a way to _kill _Smaug. That's the warriors job, and I am the Burglar. He knows that there are Dwarves here, he said as much, so that'll rule out the element of surprise'.

'You couldn't really expect him to bring up _all _of the treasure,' I'd pointed out with a scoff. 'We're here, we just didn't really think about getting rid of Smaug that much once we got here, did we?' And it was true.

After that, the Dwarves has muttered their apologies to Bilbo.

'Bilbo,' said Thorin, after a moment of quiet. He had sounded almost shy, almost apprehensive. It sounded strange against his gravelly voice. 'I would very much like to see the treasure of my people in these moments that we have before Smaug descends upon the Mountain once again. Would you take me to see it, if only for a moment?'

Bilbo complied after a moment of silence, and while they had left I realized just how..._bad _it was. After everything, it was the _treasure _that Thorin was desperate to see. Sure, he wanted to see the halls of Erebor, see the corridors and the stone and the place he grew up - but the _thirst _in his voice was for the treasure of his Grandfather, and only for that.

'We best hope that Smaug's hunt is a long one,' said Balin, as Thorin marched down the tunnel with Bilbo. 'Nothing will change Thorin's mind about seeing that treasure hoard'.

Well, hope never really did a lot of good, did it?

* * *

**I know that in the book Thorin didn't take a quick peak with Bilbo, but I just want to see how this plays out. I imagine that Bilbo going back and forth between Smaug and the Dwarves will change in the film. Also, I took inspiration from the sneak peaks of the next Hobbit film for Bilbo running through the gold when Smaug attacks him, if you remember what I mean. **

**Anyway, yeah. I hope you like this chapter. If you follow me on my tumblr - kiliyousosilly - then you'll know that I did a short Millie/Kili AU oneshot. If anyone wants to see it, just ask or go on the Millie Fournier tag! I had a lot of fun writing it!**

**There's more of Smaug to come, by the way. I'm not sure how much I want to change the fact that Bilbo is the one who truly sees Smaug up close out of the company, but I promise I won't change anything too much. Anyway. **

**Thank you so much for the reviews, once again. I'm not even saying it because you're meant to say it on every new chapter, I _really_ mean it. They're beautiful and lovely, just like all of you. Thank you!**


	32. A Regrettable Decision, Or Not?

'Would you like a piece of gum?'

The question echoed quietly throughout the tunnel, minutes after Thorin and Bilbo had been swallowed by the darkness. Kili, who had been staring fixedly at the opposing wall, had looked mildly over to me as I slunk heavily and lowly, bag on my lap.

I popped the gum out of the packet and held the small, white rectangle toward him. 'It's mint flavored,' I told him, aware of the half-interested looks from the rest of the company. We had been dirty, tired and scared while we waited for what to do next. 'You don't swallow it, you just keep chewing at it. It's like...have you ever chewed mint leaves?'

Kili stared curiously at the chewing gum. 'Yes'.

'It's kinda like that, except more...chewy,' I huffed out a laugh and held it out to him. 'Would you like it?'

I'd only really then thought of giving him something from my world. The idea seemed ludicrous, when you think about it. I'd given him something that hadn't even been _invented _in Middle Earth, and he knew exactly that. With dirty fingernails, Kili had deftly taken the gum out of the palm of my hand, popped it into his mouth and began chewing.

Have you ever seen those videos where you give a cat lemon juice, or a baby something sour? It was kinda like that.

He blinked and jumped, laughing a little at my loud cackle. The others shushed me quickly, though they themselves were biting back smiles at Kili's startled look. 'I _told _you,' I laughed. 'It's _really _minty'.

'Is this a food from your homeland, Millie?' It had been Dori to ask the question. I guess that in the midst of not quite knowing what to do with ourselves in the cramped space, any subject of conversation had sufficed.

I nodded, shutting my bag and blinking in the dimness of the tunnel. Each Dwarf had taken opposite sides of the wall, and the quiet, apparently, was getting too much for all of us. 'Yeah,' I replied. 'You don't really eat it though - you just _chew _and it makes your breath smell all...minty. It doesn't run out, either. It'll lose its taste though, after a while'.

'Fascinating,' replied Dori. 'The lad seems to be enjoying it, so I suppose it is safe'.

I looked to Kili, who indeed seemed to be enjoying the gum. The image of Kili happily popping away at a piece of gum will be forever embedded into my mind, just so you know. He was like a cheerful little puppy. Everyone else was smiling halfheartedly at the exchange as well, and perhaps that's why I'll always remember that moment as one of our calm ones.

We'd just been attacked by a dragon who continued to hunt us, but we still _smiled._

That is, until there was a slight scuffle next to me and Kili and Fili began muttering quickly to one another. Bofur, who'd had his head leaning against the wall, cracked open an eye as his smile had slowly disappeared and asked, 'What's got you two up in hysterics?'

Fili swooped an arm to catch Kili's wrist, holding it tightly. 'Kili was burnt'.

'It's a _singe_,' insisted Kili, yanking the arm from his brothers grasp and curling it once again against his stomach. His tone was grumpy and quiet, and I almost felt sorry for him as Fili worried over him with narrowed eyes.

'You what?' I balked, sitting straight and practically _clambering _onto his lap in an attempt to grab at the offending arm. 'Why didn't you say anything, you absolute prune? It could get _infected'. _

'Oin,' said Fili quickly, but the Dwarf was already unraveling bandages and taking out a salve. 'Kee, you know that Thorin would be upset if he found out you were hiding injuries,' he said, as Oin squeezed past the company to kneel in front of the mortified Kili. The younger dwarf had shifted awkwardly, still trying to take back his arm.

'No shame in admitting to injury, lad,' said Bofur with a knowing nod. 'I've probably taken up most of Oin's medical facilities on this quest'. Ori and Bombur grumbled in agreement.

'Shall we remember the time I fainted after the stone giants, or when a Goblin cut my ear, or when I ran into a wall?' I crossed my legs and stared pointedly at Kili. 'And I was the one who got you burnt in the _first_ place'. I frowned. 'Don't tell Thorin that one'.

Oin made Kili pull up his sleeve before rubbing a quick, white salve onto the burn. Blood seeped from the irritated skin. Thankfully, the rest of the company had quietened down and gone back to their snoozing whilst Oin had taken care of the injury. 'This'll help keep away the infection,' said Oin, wrapping the crinkled bandage around Kili's arm. 'Should be good within a few days, as long as you don't play with it'.

Kili had nodded and drew his arm in quickly, yanking down his sleeve. 'Thank you, Mister Oin'. Oin, though, had apparently not heard and started backward to his sitting place, dodging the legs of the Dwarves.

Fili settled beside his brother, elbowing him quickly. 'They won't say anything to Thorin, if that's what you're worried about,' he said lowly so that only myself and Kili had been the ones to hear. 'But Kee, you gotta say if you're hurt. They won't think that it's because you're young or anything of the sort, you know that. Look at Millie - she's more than willing to admit defeat like a _proper _warrior'.

I held up my hands at Fili's jest with a heartfelt, 'It's true'.

Kili just fiddled with his arm and grunted. 'It wasn't that bad of a burn and you know it, Fee'.

Fili considered this and had replied with, 'Yes. But any kind of injury can turn into any kind of infection. We're not in Ered Luin anymore, any kind of dirt or filth can get into a wound and do nasty things to it. We have to be more careful'.

I had felt like I was witnessing something far too private, something affectionate between the two brothers. Kili didn't like to be seen as weak, considering how he had been treated because of his age and his appearance. But here he was, allowing Fili to talk to him like he _was _the little brother, and he was fine with me witnessing it, as long as the others did not see.

It touched me more than he'd ever know.

The moment was cut short though, of course. The ground shook with a friction caused by something big and powerful ramming into the Mountain. We had all yelped and clutched at the walls, holding onto each other in an attempt to ensure everyone's safety. Kili had even spat his gum out in surprise, much to Fili's disgust.

A kind of horror settled in once we realized that Smaug was back.

'He's in the Mountain again,' said Dwalin roughly, standing despite the ruckus. 'We must go and find Thorin and the Hobbit-'

He cut himself off as another grinding of rock and heat swept through tunnel. The Dwarves and myself were on our feet in seconds, drawing weapons and leaving the bags behind as we had simultaneously started into a run. My heart hammered as the noises grew. They had been louder, considering that we were now inside the Mountain rather than at the Back Door.

'The two of them are not coming up the tunnel,' said Dwalin, standing tall (well, _ish_) and heaving. It had felt like the very Mountain was caving in around us with the angry, harsh movements of Smaug. 'Balin, Kili, Fili and - oh, I'm going to regret this - _Millie, _follow me up the tunnel. The rest of you; wait at the Back Door. He may yet come out of the Mountain again'._  
_

There was a whirlwind of movement as we had separated from one another, lingering glances shared and the brushing of shoulders. I hadn't, at that time, quite believed that Dwalin had allowed me to follow them to Smaug's lair, where Thorin and Bilbo had not yet returned from. He had trusted me. Despite everything, he wanted this moment for me to prove myself. For me to see true battle.

And shit, I was going to take it. Although, sometimes I wonder how things would have played out if I had merely stayed with the other Dwarves. Sometimes, I- well, I'll never know, will I?

Scared and tense, we had legged it up the tunnel. The darkness grew warmer the more we ran, and I had wondered _why _Thorin and Bilbo had not yet returned from their trek. Surely they would have run upon hearing Smaug - I mean, the dragon wasn't exactly _quiet. _Had something stalled them?

There was a light peeking in the distance, and Fili soon pointed it out. The men in front of me had slowed down some, dropping into crouches of which I had awkwardly followed. I drew Snowthorn quickly, the quiet scrape of metal hardly heard above the great, oddly deep voice of, what I had presumed to be, the mighty Smaug.

I had jumped the moment that it had echoed throughout the cavernous space, mouth drying and heart beating fast.

'-A recognize the smell of Dwarf, Thief. I know what accompanies you into my Mountain, and I know that you stole something of mine-'. When they had said that Smaug talked, they hadn't been lying, huh? 'I saw a camp, and at this camp were ponies. I ate them, yes, but not before counting them. I know how many of you there are, and I know that two of you reside in this chamber with me now'.

There was a pause, and a great intake of breath that had sounded like a rumbling growl.

'A woman Dwarf - I have not smelt one for so _long'._

I stiffened, drawing myself back and nearly tripping over as the others had jumped, looking at me in alarm. Smaug's voice was smooth, nearly seductive. The way he spoke, it was obvious that Thorin and Bilbo were somewhere beyond the hole in the wall that we had been feet away from, careful to not stray into the light in case were had been seen.

'I have hunted all night and I will hunt all day, Thief. One does not steal from Smaug and-'

There was a sudden rumbling sound and a crash of many small, metal objects. I had wondered briefly if that was the treasure I had heard so much about.

'Laketown!' Smaug said suddenly. 'That is where you acquired the ponies, I would wager. I have not set my eyes upon that Town in years, perhaps I should pay a visit to the Men who attempt to take the Mountain from the mighty Smaug? You speak in riddles, Thief, but you cannot deny the intelligence of a dragon. I will show you what happens to the men of Laketown today, and to those who _steal_'.

Ha, says _him._

There had been the sound of shifting once again, of something heavy being dragged around a floor covered in coins. Smaug had moved, and had we hid. Smaug threatened to kill those who had helped us, and we had _hid._

Kili pushed himself forward suddenly, and the yell had escaped my mouth before I could so much grab onto the rough material of Kili's coat. He had heard enough about the threats to Laketown, and in his recklessness had taken action. '_Kili!' _He still sprung forward, and Fili after him. Dwalin roared and he himself threw himself out of the darkness and into the light that was cast into the tunnel. I pushed past Balin, uneasy on my feet as the earthquake tore throughout the Mountain as Smaug moved to leave the lair and attack Laketown.

We stopped at the edge of the tunnel, where it had suddenly dropped off into the chamber. It seemed that the small doorway had been around ten feet up from the ground, above a cascade of small golden coins, which suddenly ascended into great, hulking piles of gold and treasure and _riches. _We had all stopped very suddenly, teetering at the edge of the doorway with awe.

'Dude,' I had muttered, jaw lack. '_Stuff'._

The breath had been practically _pushed _out of my lungs at the sight of a large, scaled and tick tail falling heavily from the space above and crashing against the gold. Not only because it was terrifying and had scared the crap out of me, but what if Thorin and Bilbo were down there somewhere? We had not yet found where they were hidden, and-

'_More_ thieves, I see,' the sharp voice had said, and suddenly Smaug was there. He had tricked us, it would seem. Waited until we were to angry to hide, left with a threatening comment and waited until we had not been able to bare it anymore. 'I heard your voice, where do you hide?'

He had not see us, but we had seen _him. _

He was nothing like the silhouette against the fire that I had seen the prior night. No - no _this _dragon was long and wide, with a pooling belly and a long face, flanked by two curving, bone like horns near his eyes. His skin was dark, but the scales that seemed to crust and act as thick armour had been a hot, fiery red. They glinted against the gold, envying the shine and the solidness. His eyes, although averted from our frozen forms, had been a bright yellow with thin, misshapen pupils.

He was Smaug, and he had seemed unbeatable. Unimaginable.

'Back up,' muttered Dwalin roughly, craning the hilt of his weapon around to Kili's front and slowly pulling the younger Dwarf backwards. I'd never seen any of them in such a frozen state of horror, especially Dwalin. The leader of our small group had stared at the dragon, mouth in a stiff line and movements slow and robotic.

Smaug did not notice us retreat from the hole in the wall and back into the shadows, though he'd had his enormous head cocked - listening for us. He'd breathed heavily, and smoke had curled from his two great nostrils.

Smaug wouldn't leave without incinerating us first. He would wait - perhaps he had already ended Bilbo and Thorin. But he _would not leave._ That was an impossibility...unless we did something about it.

'Oh!' my voice cracked and Dwalin, who had been moving slowly, turned to face me with such force that he nearly chopped Kili's head off with his axe. 'Oh, _Mighty, _er, Smaug. You assume that we will show ourselves in your presence, when you threaten us so many times?' _If he goes outside, he might see the others. But surely they would know to run back inside upon hearing him? But the people of Laketown - they are involved now too. _

Kili was shaking his head at me, slowly and horror struck. Fili was stoic beside me.

_You have a decision to make, Fournier. The people of Laketown, or your Dwarves. Your friends. Your _family. _You could save them, if Smaug would just_ leave.

I'd swallowed. 'A Thief has stolen from you,' I said, as loudly as I could while slowly pressing myself against the wall. I shut my eyes tightly, afraid of the stiff and echoing silence. We had backed so far up the tunnel that we were out of the light once again, and I had no longer been able to see the dragon. Thank God. 'But not I. If you are slain, though, the Men and Women of _Laketown_ will surely spy out your treasure'.

I swallowed, though my throat had been so dry that it had hurt. I placed Snowthorn beside me, noticing how my hands shook.

My voice shook too, and my sweaty palms had pressed against the smooth wall. My knees had been buckling beneath me, and slowly I had lent against the wall with a weak frame. _For them. I am saving them. Buying us time. _

I was aware of the stares of the others - the disbelief, the shock.

'It all comes back to the Men of the town in the shadow of the Mountain,' mused Smaug, and his voice was a mulling, sly thing. 'They are the ones to have aided you in reaching the Mountain, in giving you ponies to ride - you talk of them as if you know them, have you met these Men, lodged with them, shared food with them?'

I had not answered. My butt hit the floor and my hand had hovered over my mouth. All was still as his reminder floated in the air - the Men and Women had fed us, given us a house, a way to survive. They had taken us in and celebrated our mere existence.

And I had sent them a dragon.

'There will come a time when you will no longer be able to survive within the tunnels of this Mountain. Your Burglar and Thief has already given me as much information as you, Lady Dwarf. You have food, but it will not last long. Nor will your water. You are weak, and I will smite you once you can no longer survive, and you will be forced out of the Mountain. Until then, I will visit Laketown. It has been in the shadow of my Mountain for far too long'. Smaug moved, and so did the gold, and the ground - but none of us seemed to care.

There was a pause in his movement.

'And I, Smaug, will force light upon the shadow with my fire'.

I was barely aware of him leaving, of his gaping form pushing and pressing against the walls of the chamber as he had crawled out of the space and taken flight. The sound of his wings barely bothered me as the Dwarves broke out into shouts for Thorin and Bilbo, dropping from the hole and into the pile of gold. It had all been too slow, my brain lagging with what was happening.

I saw Fili start off back up the tunnel. Probably to get the others. To check if they were alright.

I saw that Kili was not there, and had known that I had done something truly terrible.

I'd started crying then, for the first time in a while. But it hadn't been for myself, nor the Dwarves around me. It had been for Laketown, and its beautiful wood and its kind people. I clamped a hand over my mouth in a desperate attempt to stifle the sobbing, the sheer _horror _of what I had _done. _I had killed a town - _people, children, babies, men, women - _to buy us time.

I had clutched at my hair, my sobs sounding too young for my voice, for me. They had been high and breathy as I had tried desperately to catch my breath, to _breathe. _Regret sat deep within my stomach, along with remorse and shame.

'Millie'.

It was not Kili who had stood before me, in case you're wondering. It had been Balin. The Dwarf had not followed Dwalin and Kili into the treasure below to search for Bilbo and Thorin, but had instead been standing quietly back, watching me with wise eyes.

'I understand what you did, and why you did it,' he said, and his voice had been somehow less kind and more comforting. I hadn't _wanted _comfort - I had wanted someone to _scream _at me. 'That was brave, Millie. A decision beyond your years - beyond any of ours-'

_Do not justify it. _

'I-I've _killed _them,' I gasped out, clawing at my hands and curling my legs inward. 'I-I _sent _him to them, so that we could have _time - _so that you all wouldn't _die!' _My vision had been blurry with tears, and to my horror I had heard the loud, clapping footsteps of the approaching company who had been left at the Back Door.

_What if it was not supposed to happen? What if I have changed the entire story so drastically that now...now everything will collapse? _Panic settled in at that thought, clawing at my chest.

'It was a decision made with thought and without feeling,' Balin said honestly, standing beside me. His hand touched my shoulder. 'It was the decision of a leader - of a King, a Queen. You did it to save your people'.

'And kill _hundreds _of others,' I replied harshly, looking up from my hands. My face had felt sticky with tears and my voice had been thick. I'd felt oddly numb - kind of disconnected.

'Perhaps that is not so,' replied Balin. 'A dragons weakest point is his underbelly. Perhaps the people of Laketown know this'.

And perhaps they had.

* * *

**Yes, okay. I said that I would made certain aspects of Smaug different, and I have. I wanted to show that Millie will change certain things (although, as you know, she only made it certain that Smaug would go to Laketown in a different manner) and do things on her own accord. She will also worry that she has changed things too much, because obviously she knows that this is The Hobbit. Although, sometimes, I think that she is forgetting that fact. **

**I hope you liked it. I feel that Millie needed something that will show the drastic change of her character, and how she will make these decision to save her people. We will see how the others will react to it in the next chapter, ey? **

**Feedback for this chapter would be much appreciated! Thank you for the reviews, you're all amazing!**

**plz don't hate millie**


	33. Armour Up

This one time, when I was very young, I accidentally stood on a baby duckling. I can hardly remember the incident - I must have been four, or maybe five? Anyway, I'd been running around the local duck pond in Spring time, when the ducks eggs had hatched and the chicks were swarming around mine and my dads feet to catch a nibble at the bread crumbs we had been throwing about.

I don't really remember standing on the duckling, I just remember it _happening _and how distraught I had been.

I'd felt ill, upset, disgusted. I was little and I didn't understand why it had died, why it had wandered so close to my feet and why it just wouldn't _move. _The mother duck had darted away with the rest of her ducklings, back into the safety of the deep water. I remember feeling guilty, because I'd _killed her child. _Her baby. _  
_

My dad had picked me up with his big arms and hoisted me up on a hip, dropping the bread bag at the sound of my startled wails. I just remember him comforting me, and telling me that it was 'just one of those things that happens'.

But there, in the chamber full of gold, treasure and mithril - there had been no comfort for me. My father had been worlds away from me - dead, practically. I was, once again, lingering at the outside of a group that didn't quite know what to do with me.

Just like old times.

I'd pressed my hands tightly together as the company surrounded one of the piles of gold, listening to Thorin's words. He had been hiding beneath a heavy pile of gold, in the corner of the room where Bilbo had also lingered, invisible because of his ring. They had heard the exchange, and were lucky to be alive. We all knew it, and I had seen Kili and Fili's relief as they had gripped at Thorin.

'The foul beast has left the Mountain for a time, and in that time we must decide how to carry out-' Thorin stood atop a small pile of gold, adjusting his clothing and watching the Dwarves who fumbled throughout the cavernous room, wondrous and in awe. He was cut off, surprisingly, by Gloin.

'Are we not going to help the people who helped _us?'_ saidthe Dwarf gruffly. 'After the lasses stunt over there, the Men and Women of Laketown will be dead by the afternoon'. He turned to look at me, and through the stiffness of his expression, I had seen disappointment and shame.

'The dragon planned to attack Laketown, with or without Millie's words,' said Thorin quietly, blue eyes addressing the still company. 'She has bought us time that we needed desperately'.

'At the price of hundreds of _lives!' _Gloin carried on. I bit at my thumb suddenly, but to only to ensure that I would not start to weep pathetically again. I had cried and mourned the lives that had been on my shoulders, and it would selfish to cry anymore. I had no _right _to cry, and that was fact. The bite hurt, but the pang of Gloin's words had sunk deeper. 'It matters not whether he would have attacked the Town or not, it matters that she _ensured _the act of _murder_'.

My punishment would be to endure the foul words, the insults, the accusations - all of them true. I promised, then, to fight as hard as I could to save this Mountain, to _somehow _repay Laketown. _Let them kill the dragon before he attacks them. Please. Let them end this. _My thoughts had been selfish, I know.

'_Enough!' _rasped out Thorin, voice gravelly and rough in his shout. 'What matters now is the time that we are wasting time, and that we will no longer be able to _leave_ the Mountain-'

'Aye?' questioned Dwalin. 'What was that?'

Fili spoke, 'When I reached the others to gather them, we closed to door behind us so that Smaug would not see it. When we closed it, the key whole disappeared...' he had trailed off quite uneasily.

'We're trapped,' said Ori nervously, after a small pause. 'What if he comes back, where will we hide then?'

'We best hope that the Men of Laketown know how to fight a dragon better than us then, laddie,' said Gloin, putting much emphasis on the meaning. He had looked at me, past his mass of knotted, ginger hair. I'd stared back, neither defiant nor upset.

Because we had known that Smaug was merely away from home, we were quick about searching the hall. The Dwarves had gathered gold and gems into their hands and stuffed the treasure into their pockets, while letting anything that they could not carry fall to the ground with disappointment As they spoke, I had wandered throughout the mixture of piles, tripping through the gold that had pooled at my feet. I took nothing.

'-It is why you asked Bilbo to escort you into the chamber, I know this,' said Balin, crouching beside a great mound and staring at it with memory filled eyes. Thorin stood behind him, watching as Fili and Kili had drawn their hands through the gold, not yet taking, but looking. _Feeling_ their new found home. Thorin's eyes snapped to Balin's back.

I stood back a little, not quite seen. 'I know that it is in here, Thror spoke of seeing it here last. It fell beneath the treasure - lost. I _saw _this happen'.

_The Arkenstone._

'If anyone finds it, they will tell you,' said Balin, standing finally to turn to Thorin. His eyes caught mine, and his smiled a small smile, bowing his head. I jumped a little at being caught and smiled back, rather jumpily. After that, I had started to wander around again, watching the Dwarves as they tried to suppress their glee.

There had been a pull at the back of my coat, and I turned to find Kili behind me, hands pooling with gold and gems. I blanched a little at his stern, dark look - I hadn't seen one like it directed at _me _before. Immediately, I had felt dreadful, and the need to cry had come back more than ever. But I had repressed it - I was a Dwarven Lady, I was made of _stone. _

I'd blurted out an apology and Kili had sighed and shaken his head, holding the gold out toward me.

'This is yours,' he said, stepping closer and bowing his head a little. With this motion, it had felt like he was protecting me from the outside, the judgments, the stares. 'Your share of the treasure. Take it, you were promised it'. I had cringed a little, knowing that if I had taken it I would have felt ill, and knowing that if I didn't I would be making a scene. Kili sighed at my hesitation and, in the end, had dumped the gold into my bag.

'Millie'. The way that he had said my name made me tense up all over, dreading whatever he was going to say. 'Millie, what you did-'

I had stopped him. 'I know,' I said, though not unkindly nor meanly. 'Really, I _know. _I know every little thing that was right and wrong about it, Kili. Honestly, I do'.

He paused and the muscles in his jaw jumped. 'You realize, then, how the others will not be so quick to forgive? Wait, I'm not finished'. Kili had rested his hand on my shoulder and brought me a little closer still. 'Forgive isn't the right word. Millie, silently we had all hoped - not, no hoped - we had all _wondered _if Smaug would go to Laketown, and whether it would buy us time. Your bravery - and I use the worst bravery very loosely - _did_ buy us time. Instead of killing us first, he-'

'Will kill them first instead,' I'd deadpanned.

'..._Yes,' _sighed Kili. 'I know you don't want comfort, but please don't listen to Gloin. I..._am _not wholly well with the decision that you made, but each of us understands why you did it. I don't want to offend you, but Dwarves are a strong race, and we do not usually buckle so easily to the threats of a dragon. We would have fought him'.

I had sagged at the inclination of his words. I had not yet _truly _proved how Dwarven I could be.

'I know. That's why I did it. I saw you move forward when Smaug threatened Laketown, and I couldn't-' I broke off, voice cracking though I hadn't even begun to cry, not tear up. 'Can't lose you,' I'd stated gruffly. 'Don't like how much you mean to me, but if you die - I don't know what I'd _do__, _Kili. I'm strong, I'm independent - my role model is bloody _Beyonce_ - but if you had died-' I cut myself off once again, chewing at the side of my mouth angrily. 'So I did the first thing that came to my head'.

Kili had lowered his gaze.

'I'm not trying to _justify_ it,' I said quickly, fumbling over my words. 'I'm n-'

But I had been silenced by Kili's kiss. I could see only three of the Dwarves at the other end of the hall, and the knowledge that no one would see us behind the great, hulking piles of gold put my nerves at ease. His kiss had been slow and his hands soft against my cheeks, tilting my head back a little as he hunched over, due to my height.

For that one moment, I had forgotten about Laketown, and, selfishly, it had been a relief.

He was Kili and he was mine. He did not agree with my actions. Disproved of them, really. Yet he comforted me subtly, letting me know that I would survive this, and that I would redeem myself. His words sunk deep and he had known it and he had wanted them to. He needed me to know that he understood, but he was not going to coddle me over my decision.

He was exactly what I had needed.

The kiss was desperate and broken, all clutching hands and sharp, short kisses against quick lips. _We might have died, _I had thought. _He was burnt once, and in that moment he might have died. We all could have. I did what I had to do, no matter how disgusting, nor how repulsive. And I will live with that decision, and I will live with him. _

Kili's hands had lingered at my waist, pushing away my coat and gripping at my shirt. My thumb brushed over his cheekbone, and he had pulled away quickly, breath hot against my face. His hand lingered by my cheek, and mine by his.

'You do not need to explain yourself to me,' he said quietly, eyes a little dark and lips a little upturned. 'But, Millie, please be patient with the others'.

I swallowed tightly, desperately refraining myself from dragging myself back into his embrace. He had made forgetting quite easy. 'I will,' I'd promised. 'I hardly even..._want _to talk to them, let alone explain myself to them. Not that there's much explaining to do. They know why I did it, and it was cowardly. In some mad way I thought that I was helping-'

Like in the stories and the movies, it was a quick kiss to the corner of my mouth that had silenced me again. And I had known that he was doing it to comfort me, to get me to be quiet and soldier on.

I paused and had lent my forehead against his chest, his chin above my head. 'Thorin came with Bilbo to look for the Arkenstone. I heard him talking with Balin, and I also think that's what he's looking for now'.

Kili gave a quick nod, causing his chin to jut into the top of my head. 'Oof, sorry. Fili and I guessed, yes. He...is becoming very entranced with the treasure here, and the Arkenstone is all that he..._wants'. _I had pulled back a little to gaze up at him, curious. 'We all, of course, _want _the treasure in here. It is ours by right, and there is _so much-' _He cut himself off, swallowing tightly and looking away from the mounds and mounds. 'But Thorin-'

'Dragon Sickness,' I said quietly, and Kili had just tightened his jaw and looked away once again, finding the figure of his Uncle from across the room.

* * *

Thorin had ordered us to search for armour to wear. In front of us all, though, he had presented Bilbo with a mithril shirt, all sparkling, pale metal weaved thinly to create the light, delicate armour.

'_Mithril,' _breathed Gloin, as Thorin had handed the shirt to a very startled Bilbo. 'A gift to be treasured, for sure, Master Baggins,' he carried on, seemingly in awe. The rest of the Dwarves were equally as thrown back at the sight of the shirt and the fact that Thorin was giving it to Bilbo. 'Mithril is mined by the Dwarves, and far better than most armour that you will come across. That is a kingly gift'.

I knew to believe Gloin, but only because he had been 'named' the expert on such things. I had known that Gloin was a Lord, and that he had a particular liking for gold and wealth. As did most Dwarves, really.

Bilbo took the light material from Thorin, who had smiled lowly at the Hobbit. 'Thank you,' said Bilbo, eyeing the thin material that had pooled into his hands. He had sounded nervous, almost flattered. 'I am very honored'. But there had been something hidden in his face, and I can't have been the only one to see it.

'It will protect you against the dragon,' said Thorin gruffly, and the matter was closed. After that, we had all bundled about to find fitting armour for each of us. I had, of course, needed light armour.

I had not walked among many of the other Dwarves, and they had not attempted to talk with me. Instead, I had stayed close by Kili and Fili, who had helped me in choosing.

I was given, in the end, a small breastplate to put on beneath my shirt. As well as this, a pair of almost matching bracers. I hadn't known what they had been at first, but Fili had quickly attached them to my lower arm with quick, dirty fingers. He was not as talkative as Kili, though he'd shared a quiet word of, 'We all do what we must in hard times. Some choose what may be considered the wrong decision'.

I'd asked him if I'd made the wrong decision, and he had shrugged, bending to pick up a stray, golden arrow. 'We'll find out soon enough, Millie'. His answer hadn't reassured me at all.

I had changed into the breastplate and put on my shirt over the metal, the cold an uninviting feeling against my skin. Pulling on my coat, I had wandered back to the others to find that they too were all armored up and slipping their coats and hoods back on over their metals and mithril. We'd studied the treasure as much as we could have, and had, obviously, found means of defending ourselves against Smaug.

But we were running out of time.

'Thorin,' said Bilbo, the voice of reason, as Thorin had waded through the gold. 'We've tried our luck for too long - Smaug will return and although we are armored, when has armour ever stopped the dragon before? We should find a safer part of Erebor to stay away in, somewhere he will not be able to find us'.

Thorin had considered this for a mere moment before nodding, face stern. Although, as I had peered at him, I could see that he was not dropping the gold that had gathered in his palms. 'Aye, Bilbo. You are right. I do not forget the layout of these halls, nor where we should go next. Take all that you must, we will depart shortly'.

It only took ten minutes, though, for Thorin's sharp voice to drift throughout the cavernous room. 'I have searched and searched, as have the others - it is not here, yet I know that it should be, Balin!'

None of us had said anything. None of us had looked at each other.

Only Fili and Kili had shared a short, worried glance. Thorin had become agitated at the loss of the Arkenstone, in case you had not guessed. _The Heart of the Mountain_. I still think that he was so desperate to find it because, somehow, it would show that he was the true ruler of Erebor, of the Lonely Mountain - not Smaug, nor anyone else.

After a short moment, Thorin had come back into view to find many of us halfheartedly searching through the gold, and the rest sitting back against the mounds. 'Come. We must find safer ground'.

And we had. We had used one of the Dwarves tinderbox to light torches, and with that we had followed Thorin out of the chamber through a small archway that had been at the top of eight, small steps. Thorin seemed to address this place with memory, glancing back once at the mess of gold and treasure. He had been the only one to look back.

We walked along a corridor that had been all chipped rock and golden, straight patterns along the walls like Aztec art. The very design of the walls and the flooring reeked riches and good architecture, and every single one of the company had been in utter awe at where they _were. _Where _we_ had finally reached, after so long.

The corridor had seemed to fall out from around us, and soon only the floor had remained, suspended over hundreds of feet below us. There had been nothing to hold onto, and the floors and pathways ran all around us, all with steps that led off into separate doorways, all up and down the cylinder of the rocky cavern. We had all stared around us, craning our necks to look about the walls, which had been traced with thin veins of gold and gems.

'Mahal,' breathed Oin, nearly tripping over his own feet as he had stared about the silent, dead walkways and walls. Our torches caught the light of the gems and gold in the walls, and this had created a domino effect of glinting and shining.

We stopped short and I heard Thorin say quietly, 'The Throne - it is where the Arkenstone once sat in the days of my Grandfathers ruling'. And I had seen the Throne in the dim lighting of the room, illuminated at the end of the long pathway. It had been tall and grey, with a design that I could not quite make out at the distance we were at.

I thought for a moment that Thorin might approach it, but he had given a deep sigh that had sounded oddly like,

_'Not yet'_.

* * *

**I didn't get to focus much on Laketown and Millie's guilt as much I would have liked (and I know I mentioned it a _bunch_ of times). I'd also like to point out that Kili forgiving her wasn't some romantic thing, it was an act to show just how much _he _knows Millie needs him by her side. He sees how guilty she is, and how distraught she is my her actions and knows that she seeks out the truth and comfort of him. So he doesn't sugar coat his words - he tells her exactly how bad it was, but that she _can _be forgiven. **

**Gloin, on the other hand, cannot fathom as to how she acted in such a way. I guess that's how some of you are feeling, so I knew that I needed to include that. The other Dwarves are not talking to her because they _don't know what to say. _Plus, thee are bigger things to worry out. Smaug returning, for one. **

**Anyway, I thought that would be a nice place to end the chapter :) I might update either today again, or tomorrow! **

**Follow my Tumblr _kiliyousosilly _for extra information. I like talking to you all very much. Also, _thank you _for the reviews. They're so helpful, and I just love that you all give your opinions. It's why I write and why I love you all so much. **


	34. Gandalf's Back, Bitches

**I just want to warn you that I have changed the way things flow, but as some of my reviewers and followers on Tumblr said, this is _my _Fanfiction and OC. I can change things how I want to, and I hope that some of you will be okay with that.**

**That sounded really sassy and mean, sorry hahahaha.**

**Also, I received a review stating that I shouldn't use the space at the bottom to evaluate and justify the reasons for whatever I did in the chapter, but I _will_ keep doing that. I realize that these things should have been realized in the story because I _am _the writer, but if a reader doesn't catch onto my reasons it's better for them to read it at the bottom than go on confused, isn't it?**

* * *

It had taken us a couple of hours to roam the halls, and something tells me that Thorin had decided to take the long way around. Erebor, even in its death, had been beautiful. The ceilings, in some places, were so high that there had been no end, the floors were hard and the walls had been sharp in their design. Every detail had been thought out, every line of gold, ever crevice in the walls, every mosaic pattern.

The Dwarves had run their hands along the walls, commenting on the architecture, the smoothness. But there had been places where the rock had not run so smoothly, where whole corners were chipped away by large objects and where the absence of care had ruined the finery of Erebor.

And myself and Bilbo had seen how this had struck the Dwarves.

It had been dark as we had roamed through the silent halls. I tried to imagine Dwarven men and ladies filling the halls, dressed to their finest and talking, filling the place with _sound. _It had been hard to imagine that a whole civilization of Dwarves had lived here once - including some of the ones that I had traveled with. Erebor, then, had felt _dead._

Then came the stairs.

Apparently, not only did Dwarves like dangerous floors hoisted above a thousand foot drop of _death, _but they also liked _stairs. _Trying to hide my panting hadn't worked, because Bofur had patted me on the back as he'd passed me up the steps and said, 'Come on, lass. Work those legs, aye?' It had been the first proper thing that any of them had said to me, so through struggled breath I had followed his advice.

The more we'd moved up those stairs, the sweeter and cooler the air had gotten.

'There is a balcony above the Front Gate,' Thorin had said, only slightly out of breath. 'You will remember, Balin - it is where we stood whence the dragon came'. He looked over his shoulder, and there was something of a bitter smile playing on his face. 'Not the fondest of memories, admittedly'.

Balin had huffed and lumbered up the steps. 'Aye, I remember. A good spot to camp to see the skies and the ground'. With that, it had been settled. We would spy out this balcony and camp there, but Balin had stressed that we should close the doors at night. Of course, we had all agreed. 'Master Baggins, are you quite alright? You're lagging'.

Bilbo was furthest back, and had sighed and stated, in that attitude filled voice, 'I am a Hobbit, and Hobbits are not so used these _Dwarven _staircases, Balin. Not used to them at _all_'.

Bombur had agreed with a great, heaving breath and a grunt.

We had, once again, then reached flat stone floors. The ceilings had not been so dramatic that high up into the Mountain, but the more we walked along the passages, the more grand everything seemed to get. Grander than anything we had already seen - aside from, perhaps, the glittering cavern where the Throne had been.

'This is where you would find Dwarves strolling throughout the day,' mused Balin, as we had broken through an archway and found ourselves in a large, curving room with the highest ceiling I had seen yet. The mere _height _and _width _of the room cannot be explained with words, but I will try my best. I suppose that I can only describe Erebor as _beautiful. _Even in the state it had been in.

I heard Fili let out a small huff from beside me, and had hid a small smile. He and Kili had been awestruck. It'd been quite cute actually.

There had only been a few more stairs, and then we'd reached a platform in which Thorin named camp. It was here that the smell of fresh air had been at its strongest, and as we dumped our bags onto the ground Thorin approached the wooden doors.

'Fili, Kili - help me with this'.

They'd heaved and tugged at the doors, eager to help as much as they could. I found that they had wanted to touch everything, to _see _everything. They'd only heard legends and stories from Thorin about Erebor, yet there they were. Living it. Breathing it.

And then, with a sound like a thousand people sighing (and the sound of wood snapping out of stiff positions), the great door had burst open and late morning light had poured in from outside, lighting up the small space that we had acquired, just away from the grand hall we had walked through. I hadn't been the only one to breathe in deeply, glad to be rid of the musty, old smell of the Mountain and Smaug.

'Mahal...'

The ground outside of The Lonely Mountain had been dried and dead before, but now much of it had been blackened by dragon fire. Trees were bent and burnt, spots black and cracked from the night before. We all stood in the light of the tall doors, taking in the desolation outside.

And smoke had risen in the distance, at the end of the River.

* * *

The clanging and banging of metal filled the silence of Erebor, echoing throughout the Mountain and making myself, Ori, Dori, Nori, Bilbo and Bombur wince with every stroke. We had been deemed the once to make dinner and to watch the skies while the others went about fortifying and barricading the Front Gate. They had, of course, been the more able ones.

We had been the rejects, apparently.

Charming.

There wasn't much in our packs to make for dinner, but Bombur managed to draw together some cooking pots and ingredients to make an unnamed soup. The sky seemed to get lighter with the coming of afternoon, and the smoke soon disparated from the horizon. I'd wondered if the water around Laketown had dispersed the flames.

The idea made my gut feel rotten.

'He would of been back by _now,' _Dori insisted to Nori, looking back from the skyline. 'If the smoke has stopped, then that must mean _he's _stopped. Why would he stay if he had defeated the Town?'

'Food,' deadpanned Nori, and Ori had looked mildly queasy.

_I'd_ looked blatantly horrified.

'He doesn't _mean _it!' hurried Dori, lifting up his hands in an 'Oh Dear God, Do Not Throw Up' gesture. 'Honestly, Millie, you know what Nori is _like_. You mustn't.._worry_ too much. I see how regretful and fretful you are - you'll make yourself sick, you know'.

Nori had a look of utter seriousness on his face, but had suddenly blanched with a dirty look to Dori. 'What d'you mean _'you know what he's like'? _Without _me_, Ori would have been hacked to pieces by an _Orc_ by now. _I'm _the teacher, you Mother Hen'.

'I _beg _your pardon-?'

'I could have _sworn_ that I just saw-' started Bilbo, wandering amidst the open doors to peer over the balcony, though he had been much too short. He had been lingering beside the walls, studying everything with precision. He'd seemed a little..._off, _though - like something was bothering him. He was cut off suddenly by the sound of three, great bangs from below us.

Right where the others had been working on the Front Gate.

Those of us who were gathered around the cooking pots and soup had stared at each other, both wide eyed and confused. Who would be knocking...here? The idea of Smaug knocking seemed _mildly _ridiculous, but also a little funny. A lot funny. All humor vanished when I wondered if it could be people from Laketown, coming to seek shelter.

_It would have taken them more than a day to reach the Mountain, moron. _

There was a scuffle from down below, the sound of harsh whispering and Thorin, finally, calling out, 'Who knocks upon the doors of Erebor today?' There was a hush after these words, and those of us who had been upstairs had crept forward, over to the balcony that had hung over the inside of the Front Gate. I could see the tops of the Dwarves heads, and in their hands they had held rusty hammers and wood, gathered from abandoned rooms.

The voice that had answered was muffled through the high, gaping door. Considering that we were quite high up, it had been even quieter. 'An old friend, Thorin Oakenshield. I believe that Bilbo knows who knocks upon Erebor's Front Door this day,' answered an old, wise voice. The kind that stuck to your very memory, the kind that you just _remembered. _'If you do not let me in, I shall only continue banging upon this door with my staff'.

'I _thought _I saw him,' muttered Bilbo, a little dazed. 'It's Gandalf'.

After making our swift way down the dozens of steps that led from the upstairs to the great hall in front of the Front Gate, we had joined the others Dwarves. They had been dirty and sweaty from making the barricade, but each of them was equally as excited to pull away what they had put in place so far.

With each of the Dwarves efforts, one of the double doors was pulled back only a small amount, leaving them huffing from the weight of it. Gandalf stepped in idly, his staff moving with each step that he took. He looked the same, all grey beard, grey robes and grey eyes.

Exactly how I'd remembered my Tall-Old-Guy.

His mouth pulled into a small little smile, and he addressed Thorin while looking around at the high ceilings and the stone floors. 'I trust that the map worked, then?'

'Quite well,' responded Thorin, considering Gandalf with a level look. 'You've returned to us'.

Gandalf had inclined his head and stepped further into the doorway, allowing a few of the Dwarves to shut the door behind them. 'As I promised I would, Thorin Oakenshield. Or is it King Thorin Oakenshield now? For you have certainly reclaimed your Lonely Mountain, I see'. Once again, he looked to the view of Erebor.

Thorin darkened and glanced behind him, to all of us. 'Smaug has been driven to Laketown to punish those who helped us, we do not know when he will return to finish us off. We were preparing to barricade the door, and now you-'

'And then I came knocking,' said Gandalf, clasping his hands to lean onto his staff, smiling. 'As I always do, do I not?' With that, he spied out Bilbo, who had merely straightened up and scoffed. 'I am sure that you will be pleased to know that in the process of 'punishing' Laketown, as you say, Smaug the Magnificent has been slain'.

There was a brief silence in which my chest had swelled with a feeling like glitter, kittens and balloons, and Bilbo had practically choked on his own spit. 'He has been defeated?' said the Hobbit slowly, practically spelling it out. 'He's _dead?'_

_'Who?' _Thorin had gaped at Gandalf, who'd just smiled back all smugly.

'Bard the Bowman was the one who strung the arrow and hit the dragons heart, I believe. Although others came to aid the troubled Town, such as King Thranduil and his son, Prince Legolas, as well as their small army of Elves. I find it particularly knowing that they were most likely in search of you'. With that, he had peered at the lot of us. 'I have the heard phrase 'barrel-riders' thrown around'. He paused.

'But I bare darker news, I am afraid'.

And with that, the mood had been freakin' _murdered. _

But the dragon was _dead. _The Men and Women of Laketown had killed him, slain him - _and they had survived. _I could have cried, laughed, broken into song. Heck, any _High School Musical _song would do. Screw that, a _Disney _song - a _real _Disney song._  
_

'Are they alright?' I had cut in quickly, not allowing Gandalf to reply to our disappointed faces, nor to explain himself any further. 'Did they all survive?' The words had felt sticky on my tongue, and they had hung in the air like a bad smell.

'I do not know, Millie,' said Gandalf, and his eyes were kind, like he _knew _why I worried. 'The Town, though, will have to be rebuilt. The survivors are many, so do not fret'. I let out a whoosh of breath, thinking of splintered, burnt wood and fire. Very secretly, Kili's hand had slipped into mine. I hadn't even noticed his presence beside me.

There was a small silence.

'The Pale Orc and his son, Bolg, march for Erebor,' said Gandalf above the tense silence, voice low. 'With an army of Orcs and Wargs behind them. They learnt of the wealth of Erebor, and that the Grandson of Thror searched for it's halls to slay the dragon, Smaug. He must be near, and must have heard from Laketown that you passed through the Town recently. Soon, he will know of Smaug's demise'.

Kili's hand had tightened in mine in his distress.

'An army?' growled Thorin. 'To take the Mountain; the Treasure of Thror?' He stood higher, grinding his feet into the ground. '_Never_'.

Gandalf stared for a moment, _looking_ at Thorin, and then he said, 'You know that he already strives to wipe out the Line of Durin, and now he will have a reward for this act.'. Another pause, another grim look. 'As you know, I found myself among the gathered, _homeless_ people of Laketown. I understand that they turn to Bard the Bowman for much advice and leadership - and he advises that they make for the Mountain'.

Thorin seemed to shrink with dread and rage, his whole form stiffening.

'And why is that?' he had bit out.

Gandalf tilted his head a little. 'Why else, Thorin son of Thrain, but to seek out the gold in which they believe they are owed? Bard killed the dragon, and now there is a Town to rebuild, and people to feed. You will also find the Elves among their company, I do believe'.

Thorin shook his head, disbelieving. 'Do they not know that an army of _Orcs _marches our way?'

'No,' said Gandalf. 'They do not. I thought it best that you tell them this when they arrive in two days time to talk with the King Under the Mountain concerning their reward for desolating Smaug the Terrible'. It had been in his tone, and we had all heard it. _The sarcasm_, the hidden the meaning of whether Thorin _would _give them their gold.

Sure, I couldn't really see why Thranduil was hopping along for the ride, but Laketown _needed _it. It hadn't been my guilt talking, either. Bard had killed Smaug - _our _job - and therefore we should have given him enough money to help rebuild the Town.

'I will _not _share the treasure of my Grandfather to any troubled passer by!' spat Thorin, irrationally angry. His voice startled us all, but it had been Balin to step forward and address our leader.

'Thorin,' he had said. 'Perhaps you should consider this, and the fact that Smaug has been-'

'There is an army of _Orcs_ marching for us!' said Fili, who had perhaps been the more rational one out of the lot of us. 'We do not have time to talk of the treasure, nor who will take it! Once we tell the Men and Elves who march for us, I am sure they will think the same. We need them to fight with us, and to _want _to fight with us to defend our Kingdom'.

Kili had stared at his brother with a hard look of agreement. Everyone had looked too. I think we'd all seen the second Heir to the Throne then, the boy that Thorin had _groomed _for the Throne since birth.

'How long until our foes reach us?' inquired Thorin, who had been staring at the ground with a solid and grim look upon his face.

Gandalf gave Thorin a knowing look over his staff. I always had this feeling that Gandalf knew exactly how things would play out, like he had _known _what Thorin's reaction would be. 'You will have enough time to send for Lord Dain of the Iron Hills, if you do so immediately'.

It had been that that I realized how _serious _this was. The shit had truly hit the fan.

'Ori!' barked Thorin, and the youngest of the three brothers had stood taller. 'Write a letter to Lord Dain asking for assistance. Describe everything that has happened, and all that _will _happen. Involve the slaying of the dragon and the threats from both the Elves and the Men, as well as the Orcs that march our way'. A pause. 'And be sure to mention the Pale Orc. That will get him down here faster'.

None of us had said it, but we had each shared a thought, an opinion of whether the Men and the Elves had truly been a _threat. _Spoiler: they hadn't. Well-

'Tell him we go to war,' Thorin had said gruffly and oh-so _dramatically_, staring hard at Gandalf before sweeping away with a turn of his cloak. Kili and Fili watched him go, both deep in thought and worried for their troubled, _sick _Uncle.

It had been Dwalin to snap us out of our daydream. 'No time to waste! We must continue with barricading the door, especially if there are those who want our treasure, lads. Bofur, grab me that hammer. Gloin, you keep on with nailing that wood on like that - yes-'

My hand had slipped from Kili's with a soft look and and a tight smile. We would talk late, we would _all _talk later. _War. _The word had rung in my head until it lost all meaning, until it had stopped _being _a word. _War. Fight. Orcs._ They marched for us, the Men and Elves wanted a share of the treasure. When everything should have been going _well _it had suddenly crumbled away, falling into shitty little pieces.

We'd fight, but we hadn't been able to _think_ about it properly. We hadn't been able to mourn the coming war, nor consider the fact that the _Orcs _were the enemy. But Dwarves were stubborn, which is perhaps why I would stick to my opinion, and they would stick to theirs. But that hadn't changed the fact that we _would _fight the enemies.

Five enemies to fight in the Battle.

* * *

**Boom. Like I said, I changed things so that it would flow better. I'm excited for the next chapter, which should stick to the book in concerns of the confrontation between Thorin and Bard and all that jazz. Also, I realize in the book that Azog isn't at the Battle of the Five Armies, and I have a feeling that he'll be dead by that point in the film but don't spoil my fun tehe. **

**Thank you for the reviews and messages on my Tumblr! They make my day! **


	35. Dragon Sickness (Sucks)

The next day, I managed to talk with Gandalf.

'You have grown much since I departed from the company last, Alexandria,' said Gandalf, a voice behind me.

I had jumped and turned, tearing my gaze away from the sinking sun to look at him. He looked the same, perhaps a little tireder, a little worn. His gaze, though, was entirely the same. Blue, penetrating and a little, _tiny _bit awkward. When Gandalf looked at you, he _looked _at you.

'It hasn't been _that _long,' I protested into the quiet. The Hall had no longer been filled with the clanking and the hammering, but now the sound of the Dwarves eating, discussing with brash voices when Dain would arrive, and what would be done about our Orc enemy. Not only that, but what we would do about the people of Laketown and the Elves, who also came our way.

'No,' Gandalf had agreed, standing beside me. He leaned against his staff and looked out to the orange sky. 'But Bilbo has told me much of what has happened in my absence, and the Dwarves have, if I may say, discussed it too. You sent Smaug to Laketown,' he said, dipping his head to look down at me. He peered beneath thick eyebrows, which were raised.

I had shrugged, uncomfortable. 'Yes'.

Gandalf nodded and looked away. 'You are ridden with guilt and regret. Do you think that you decision was a bad one, Miss Fournier?' There had been a brief pause in which I had fiddled with my eyes and watched the sun sink lower and lower.

'I don't _know,' _I had almost whined, finally. 'On one hand, I know that it was an awful, traitorous thing to do. It was disgusting, cowardly and- and something that some _Disney _villain would do. But then...then I think about how everyone is alive, and _now _I know that Smaug is dead, and I can't bring myself to fully _regret _it, you know? But Laketown-'

'Will be rebuilt,' settled Gandalf. 'With stronger wood. All things come to and end, only to be reborn once again, do you not agree? Sometimes, for the good to happen, we must first address the evil'.

I had always thought that Gandalf was a big like a paler, taller version of Yoda, and my thoughts had only been solidified in that moment. 'Gloin and Oin think that what I've done is awful,' I told him. 'Gloin said as much. He thinks I'm not 'worthy' or whatever. It's just...it's hard, trying to act so Dwarven, when I've spent nearly twenty years being just _Millie'._

'And continue to do so!' said Gandalf, smiling past his grey cloak as he had looked down at me. 'You have won the hearts of the Dwarves with being, quite simply, Millie. You have not lost their hearts either, no matter what your mind tells you. And, I see, you have finally _addressed _your own heart, hmm?' The statement was so sudden that my face had flushed pink with surprise.

I'm discussing boys with Gandalf the Grey. How dandy.

'I suppose I have, yeah,' I said, suppressing a smile but failing miserably. I had looked at Gandalf, smiling largely for the first time in a while. 'Finally, huh?'

'Indeed,' chuckled Gandalf. 'I have always found the romantic notions of the Dwarven race quite beautiful. They love for their whole lives, never once loving another, even if their other half dies years before their own death. They will stay loyal, and they will love fiercely. I see you have been given your courting braid,' he said, and my face had flushed _even more._

'Oh, er, yeah'.

'Very lovely'.

'_Thank _you'.

There was a pause. 'Gandalf...how big is this battle going to be? I don't- I don't really understand it, if I'm honest. The Orcs, will they attack no matter what? And will the Elves and the Men of Laketown really attack the Mountain if we don't give them their gold?'

Gandalf's air grew mournful quite suddenly. 'I cannot say how large of a battle this will be, or if there will be one at all between Dwarves, Men and Elves. Dain comes from the Iron Hills to aid us in our time of need, but with the threat of the Orcs I believe that there will be a battle, yes. It is not so easy to talk about civility with Orcs as it is with Men. It is not my belief, though, that King Thranduil of Mirkwood yearns for the treasure of Erebor. They do not yet know that you are alive, and it is in my opinion that once he learns of Thorin's survival, he will no longer try to take the gold'.

I narrowed my eyes. 'But...'

'Alas,' agreed Gandalf. 'I believe that he _will_ support Bard in his claim for the gold. Bard the Bowman believes strongly that he should have his share of the gold, considering that he is the Heir to the City of Dale and that he has slain the dragon Smaug. I have told Thorin of these claims, and my own beliefs of what will happen, although-'

'Although,' barked a voice form behind us. 'I will not hear of them. I will not willingly give the gold and treasure of my Grandfather to an _Elf!'_

Gandalf closed his eyes, while I had jumped and turned around with a stiff and _'oh, shit' _air. Being caught talking about someone was _totally _awkward. Especially when you were gossiping about Thorin. 'Er-' I had started, only to be cut off my Gandalf.

'Thorin, I do not think that it is Thranduil's, nor his peoples ambition to take a part of the treasure once he knows of your survival. You _must _look past your hate of the Elves,' stressed Gandalf.

'Then these _Men,' _said Thorin, throwing his hand out and stating bitterly, 'What right do they have?'

Perhaps it was because of my guilt, but I had said, 'It is because of us that they no longer have _homes, _Thorin. They _need _something to rely on to help them rebuild their _home'._

Thorin sent me a meaningful glare, so I had shut the hell up.

'Bard is of the people of Dale, and the Heir,' Gandalf had explained calmly. 'And as Millie has explained, the people will need something to pay for the destruction of Esgaroth. There is more than enough for you and your people to live off of, Thorin son of Thrain! Do not let the same sickness that took your Grandfather of old take _you!'_

Oh God no, scary Gandalf always freaked me out. As soon as I had spotted the others approaching from the archway, I had darted toward them with a grimace and a quick look that said '_run'._

'You accuse me of having _Dragon Sickness?' _Thorin had seethed. Fili sucked in a deep breath. 'I am _King Under this Mountain, _and you should remember such things, Gandalf the Grey-'

'Do _not _tell me what to remember, Thorin Oakenshield! I have seen the mightiest of Dwarves fall to the glint of gold, and I will not see the same happen to you. Upon the arrival of Bard and Thranduil, I _hope _that you will have enough sense to talk through with them the coming Orc army and find a coalition between your three races!' With that, Gandalf pushed passed us and went back into the Erebor, grumpy and bad tempered.

'Wow,' I had breathed. '_Awkward_'.

* * *

The next night, the torches appeared in the distance.

'They have come,' said Balin, as we all stood on the balcony above the Front Gate. 'And their army is great. Elves and Men, more of them than I had imagined'. He looked to the left, to Thorin. The King stood with a stiff back and a stern glare, his eyes trained on the gathering that had come up the way near the broken City of Dale.

'I will wait until they reach our Gate, and then I shall walk to them. Do you see this as fit, Gandalf?'

The Wizard had just hummed.

We all waited inside, around the place where we had built a small fire and where we had slept. The march of the Elves and Men grew louder and louder, and I had shrunk against Kili's form with a worried glance. It had sounded like thunder, which had only made me worry about how _many _of them there were.

'Do you think we _will_ fight?' I had whispered, not wanting to address the whole group with this silent, untouched thought.

Kili had looked at me for a short while and then turned away with a small shake of his head and an almost worried, 'I don't know what will happen, Millie'. But he had still clutched at me because we knew, we _knew _that even if there was no battle with the Elves or the Men, there was still the Orcs to deal with. With me, there had been the lingering question of where _I _would go once the Orcs came.

Of course, _I _had known that I would be _in _the battle, but I hadn't _dreamed _to talk to Kili about that. He'd probably _freak._

We didn't worry about the army below us trying to get in, because we had already blocked the gate with new metal and stone to stop anybody from entering without our consent. At first, the barricade had been made to try and keep out Smaug, but now to keep out the 'enemies' who stormed for the Mountain. _Our _Mountain.

But it wasn't the Mountain they wanted, it was the treasure beneath it.

It was expected that Bilbo had been the quietest of us all. The Hobbit pushed himself between a few of the Dwarves as we had sat around the fire, his face blank and ever so slightly grim. Like myself, this was not what the Hobbit had expected. We'd expected adventure, slaying a dragon, reclaiming a Kingdom for the race of Dwarves. This, in our naive eyes, had not been on the agenda.

But there had been something...something off about the Hobbit. Something that Gandalf knew about, I think. I had seen them talking together, Bilbo looking worried and Gandalf looking approving. That had been after Gandalf had seen the ring, though. The Wizard had inquired about it, as the other Dwarves had continued with the Front Gate and I had been loitering about and taking off my armour. The Wizards eyes had been drawn, worried, even a little scared.

It had confirmed my hazy ideas about Bilbo's ring.

_The Lord of the Rings. _Was the ring bad? Should I have taken it and thrown it to the wind, making sure that no one would find it again? You know the answer, and now, so do I. But I hadn't then.

And all it would have taken would have been watch three, stinking movies.

I worried for Bilbo and what else he could possibly be hiding, but I had been distracted by other fears and other things. One of them being the army outside of the Gate, and Thorin rising with a, 'We will open the Front Gate now. Fili, Kili - my Heirs. I would wish for the both of you to stand beside me when I address the Elvenking and this Bard. The rest of you, stay unseen, stay hidden behind the walls'.

There had been a full silence after that, but many of the Dwarves had climbed to their feet to aid in the opening of the Gate. Gandalf didn't move at all from his place in the corner, where he had dangled a pipe between his lips. His stare, directed at Thorin, had been bland and mildly interested, but his words held an air of warning, 'I hope you consider who it is you will be addressing, Thorin. Keep you words cool and your head level'.

Thorin just grunted and walked down the steps, the others following him. Kili cast me a look as he went, but I didn't reach for him or anything like that. He was Durin's Heir right now, and to kiss him or hug him would only result in his hopeless blushing and uncomfortable looks.

'Millie,' said Dori, one of the last to linger at the top of the steps. 'You'll stay up here, won't you? With Mister Gandalf?'

I'd stalled briefly, shared a look with Gandalf, and then relaxed my form. 'Yeah, 'course I will. I'll be rooting you for you guys up here'. Dori just smiled and hurried down the steps, after his brothers and his friends. 'Go team,' I muttered, turning away sharply to face Gandalf. 'He's been like this since Laketown,' I said lowly. 'Thorin, I mean'.

Gandalf gave a short nod, blowing a ring of smoke from between his lips. 'Bilbo has told me all, Alexandria. I have tried to talk to the stubborn Dwarf but, ah, Dwarves are _stubborn, _are they not?'

I'd snorted. 'I think you're tryna to tell me something'.

Gandalf just smiled wanly. 'Thorin will not listen - he is beyond listening or seeing reason. It is the Arkenstone he yearns for, above all else. Above any river of gold, even. The Arkenstone is the Heart of his Mountain and, like most Dwarven men, Thorin likes to own what is his and make all know that it is _his. _The mere thought of an Elf or an Orc raiding the Mountain and finding it before him sets him at ill ease, I think'.

I nodded and blew a strand of hair from my face. 'I thought we would have found it by now, though'.

Gandalf hummed, like always.

After a moment, I had pushed myself against the wall near the balcony, where the thrum of stomping footsteps had stopped, replaced with an eerie kind of silence. There had been the sound of shuffling, like metal against metal and uneasy feet, and upon looking out over the balcony I had seen many Men and Elves, not too close to the Gate, but evidently waiting for something to happen. The army hadn't been_ humongous, _but there _had _been many - _too _many.

_If they think we're dead, they are about to get a right shocker._

And then, below me, the ground had shaken only slightly with the sound of the Front Gate being scraped open with the effort of all of the Dwarves. With my head ducked and my knees bent, I had peered to see the armies reactions. Although I could not see their faces, I had seen those in the front lines step back a little. The army seemed to have been divided into two halves - those of the Elves (there were many more of them), and those who were Men.

And then, from below, I had seen Thorin, Kili and Fili walk out, stopping just beneath myself, beneath the watch balcony. From behind me, I'd heard the shuffle of fabrics and saw that Gandalf stood in the arch of the balcony, careful to follow Thorin's words about staying hidden, but listening with a cocked head.

'People of Laketown,' called Thorin, voice echoing in the quiet and the still. He'd sounded like a King, an angry, determined King. _This is our Mountain. _'Elves of the Woodland Realm, why do you come to the Gates of Thorin son of Thrain, as if for war? What is it that you desire so dearly, that you march an entire army to address me?'

I looked closely, ducking and nearly tripping in my haste to not be seen. Thorin did not touch the sword at his side, and nor did Fili touch his. I had seen, though, that Kili's hand lingered too closely to his own thick sword, and that he had attached his bow to the strap at his back.

It was a Man who had stepped forward, from the front line of the Men and Elves. I had recognized Thranduil, now that I looked closely. He was hardly dressed for battle, but I'd reminded myself of how the Elves who'd caught us in Mirkwood had dressed - green, light materials. Elves were too quick and graceful to get caught by a blade or an arrow.

_Wish I was quick and graceful. I can't even walk forward without falling onto my face. _

The man had been tall, with dark hair and a handsome face. He was dirty though, and I'd had to squint to see the tears in his armour and the bow on his back. His voice was loud and ever so slightly accented 'Some of your company may remember my face, Thorin son of Thrain. I am Bard of Laketown, and I am glad that you did not succumb to the wrath of the dragon. You are the lucky one in this case, it would appear'. There was a trace of bitter humor in his shout, and my stomach dropped.

Bard had carried on before Thorin could continue. 'I am the Heir of Girion, of Dale. In you hoard - the treasure beneath your Mountain - is mingled much of the wealth of Girion, the wealth of his halls and his towns, which Smaug had stolen. Smaug, who at my hand was slain'. He paused there, letting this information register, before he carried on. 'I wish to speak of the matter of the parts of the treasure that, by right, belong to me. I too come in the name of the Master of Laketown, who stays in the ruins of my peoples Town. The Town in which sheltered you in your time of need and desperation, and aided you in many ways. Will you turn your back on this Town, Thorin son of Thrain, or will you repay us?'

There had been a chill in the air after those words, and I'd cringed at the _truth _of them. If Bard was the Heir of the guy who _had _owned some of that treasure, then he pretty much had a massive right to take it. And Laketown...there was more than enough gold to pay for the repairs and to house the people who'd lost their homes. I couldn't imagine that Thorin would-

But, of course, I hadn't remembered the long hours that Thorin had spent in the treasury, nor how he had grumbled and spat over the loss of the Arkenstone. I was still trying to see the good in the Dwarven King. _  
_

'The treasure of my people,' started Thorin, and I'd half-wondered whether they were getting sick of shouting over the space between them. 'Cannot and _will not _be claimed by the race of Men. The evils done by Smaug should not be amended with a share of it. You treated us well, that is true, and the goods and service we received in Laketown shall be repaid - but in due time. Nothing will be given to you as you stand before my Gate with an army and as you act as a threat. I cannot help but wonder,' Thorin added. 'How you would have paid my people, had you found us slain by Smaug. Would you have given _my _kindred a share of the treasure?'

I looked behind my shoulder at Gandalf, who'd had his eyes shut as if in a silent prayer.

Thorin, you idiot.

'I will not parley when you come with an Elven host to my Gate!' carried on Thorin, and I could practically _smell _the smoke pouring from his ears. 'Dismiss your armed men and the Elvenking's - whom I remember with small kindness - and I shall welcome you to my threshold. If you do none of this, then I will continue to see yourself and your people as a threat - and _treat_ you as one'.

Yeah, talking of _threats_...

Bard, to put it lightly, had not taken these words lightly. 'King Thranduil is my friend, and has aided Laketown in its time of misery and despair, where you have not. Gather your wisdom, Thorin son of Thrain, and I will await your words! Otherwise, you will be declared _foe _and not _friend_'.

* * *

It had been Fili to break the tense silence, the moment the Front Gate closed behind himself, his brother and his Uncle. 'What was _that?' _he almost shouted. I'm pretty sure that if he'd had a sword in his hand, he would have thrown it to the ground. 'Are you so _taken _with the Sickness that you will declare war when another Man claims what is rightfully his, Thorin?'

Thorin turned on his nephew, all blazing eyes, clenched fists and sneering mouth. 'What is rightfully _his, _Fili? It is _ours. _My own to keep and my own to guard'. I paused at the bottom of the stairs, but Gandalf marched straight past me, nearly knocking me over.

'Thorin Oakenshield!' he grumbled. 'Do you _wish _to be known as a Mad King? Not only have you dishonored your own _honor, _but you have _let_ those Men and Elves sit at your threshold when an army of Orcs and Wargs comes charging for the Treasure of Thror!'

Thorin sniffed. 'They will know, soon enough. When Dain and his army come for Erebor, they will know that a battle is afoot and that we will not be so easily defeated. Orcs, Elves and Men will _know _this'.

'Don't pretend that you care about that,' I'd scoffed, giving up on standing and instead sitting on one of the steps. 'You only care about the treasure, Thorin. But just _think _about what you're doing_'._

'I care about the honor of my people more than most!' he snapped.

'Don't talk to her like that,' snapped Fili angrily. 'Not when you're putting not only her life in danger, but all of ours. And when there is such an easy and simple way out of it - give Bard his share of the treasure! They can _help _us in this battle if we _befriend _them instead of become _foes _with them, Uncle. Just _think_ of that'. He nearly pleading and it practically broke my heart. Desperately, I had stared at Kili and Fili.

And in turned, they watched their Uncle break.

'Do you not care at all for the treasure of your Line, boy?' Dwalin had said gruffly. 'Thorin is right'. And almost everyone agreed with him, aside from myself, Kili, Fili, Gandalf, Bilbo and Bombur. It was us who protested, who tried to talk past the fascination with glitter and gold.

But only to deaf ears.

* * *

**That. Was. A. Mission. To. Write.**

**Whew, done! I think this was the part of the book that I dreading to write, among some other, smaller parts. Only because it's kind of the build up, and because I had to tweak a few things to fit what I've already changed. I hope it flows well, reviews are much appreciated! Not that you guys haven't been _splendid _with them already. I'm very excited to start writing the next chapter, because Millie has a part in something good. Well, kinda.**

**Thank you for reading my lovelies!**


	36. Yes

'-Plotting to overthrow our camp while we do not know what comes for us, Thorin son of Thrain? I took Dwarves to be a race of _honor _and of _honesty, _not cravens who attack their enemy as they sleep-'

Bard's tirade had been broken off my Dwalin's angry shout of rage, accompanied by Fili's sudden call out into the mass of Men and Elves. It had been Bard and a few others to knock upon the Front Gate, but Thranduil had not been there to accompany him.

'Thorin was mistaken!' defended Fili adamantly. 'He was not able to tell you of his defenses coming from the Iron Hills, but they are not here to wage war out in this matter. They come for another reason, a reason that we have kept from you while you have camped outside of our Gate. This reason, Bard the Bowman, will hopefully be enough to settle this dispute of gold and treasure'.

We had all been presented to Bard and his company that day, having seen no point in hiding. Thorin, Fili and Kili stood in a line in front of his, while the rest of us had crowded at the back of them, stiff and straight as we had stared down the Men and the Elves.

Apparently, word had come from those who remained at Laketown. Dain of the Iron Hills came to Erebor with hundreds of Dwarves, of whom would protect the Mountain from the Orcs and the Wargs. Bard, though, had taken this as a threat to his own company of Men and Elves.

Fili elbowed his Uncle subtly, egging him on to _finally _tell Bard about the Orcs that marched our way. His mouth moved beside Thorin's ear and, finally, the older of the three had nodded once, face set into stone.

'An army of thousands march for the Mountain - this is why my kin come to aid us in our protection of Erebor,' Thorin gestured vaguely to the lot of us, and we had all stood a little straighter. 'An army of _Orcs and Wargs,_ led by Azog and Bolg - Azog, you may know, is the Pale Orc...the one who slew Thror of Erebor. Bolg is his son'. Thorin swallowed, allowing Bard to raise a brow and consider this news. 'They will raid the Mountain. Unless I have an army to protect it, that is'.

'You are certain?' breathed Bard, quieter than before.

'He is,' mused Gandalf. He had been standing within the halls of Erebor, having known that his presence would cause questions. Now though, he emerged from the Gate, his strides long and his staff supporting him. 'I have heard word of this army myself, and from very trusted sources. This matter, of course, puts into question whether this dispute should, for now, be set aside?'

Thorin had looked angrily over his shoulder, while Gandalf just tilted his head innocently, standing beside the Hobbit.

'Yes,' Bard had said quickly, after a short pause. 'You are right, of course'. He peered at Gandalf. 'You are Gandalf the Grey - the Wandering Wizard? I know of you, and I know that you are true'.

Thorin stepped forward. 'Then you agree to stop these demands of my gold?'

Bard's jaw jumped. 'I agree, Thorin Oakenshield, to protect the gold that is rightfully mine, as Heir of the rulers of Dale. I agree to fight beside you, and I agree to protect my people and Erebor the best I can. The matter of the gold shall be settled afterward. If there is any gold to share, that is'.

I could tell that Thorin hardly agreed to this, but only one thing had mattered at that time: we'd needed help, and this army in front of us could be it. That's all it had come down to.

'Good,' said Gandalf, playing his staff into his other hand. 'When Dain of the Iron Hills comes through with his army of Dwarves, you will allow him passage through your camp. It is a grave time, the time before a battle, so we best use it to not squabble, but to prepare'. Thorin looked away pointedly, and Gandalf had carried on, 'Five armies,' he'd mused. 'The Battle of the Five Armies, it will be'.

* * *

'Why was six afraid of seven?'

Kili tilted his head, a small smile playing on his lips as he had considered this question. I had watched him, my own grin growing with bight eyes and an anxious need to make him laugh and smile and forget the troubles of the war.

'I don't know,' he sighed. 'Why?'

'Because seven _eight _nine!' I revealed, holding my hands up in 'surprise'. 'Geddit? It _ate _nine!' Kili had laughed and shaken his head, looking half amused and half baffled. 'I'm just so funny, it actually kind of _hurts _sometimes'._  
_

'It must be quite a pain, having such wit buried inside of you,' he considered, the face of seriousness. He sat across from me, back pressed against the wall and a sword by his side. I'd sat, cross legged, in front of him.

'It's nice to know that _someone _understands,' I had sighed.

He brought a hand forward and I had caught it, pressing my palm against his. 'We have an alliance with the Men and the Elves,' he said, watching our interlocked fingers slipping into place. _I _had watched _him. _'And an army of Dwarves come to our aid'. Kili continued to watch, almond eyes staring. After a moment, they jumped to mine. 'You plan to fight'.

I considered lying, considered avoiding the question in the statement. Nah. 'Naturally'.

Kili breathed in and nodded. 'I know this. We all do. You're learning to fight well, but you need to keep _training. _Even if it's by yourself. There's only short days left now, and you _need _to be as prepared as you possibly can'.

This, of course, I had known. 'Alright,' I agreed, as calm as I could be. _Short days left. _'But you have to promise me that you won't go out of your way to risk your safety to jump to my rescue, Kili. You _have _to'.

Apparently, telling the truth was something that had been important between us at that point, because Kili'd just said, 'You know that if I promised you that, it would be an empty promise'.

I sighed and laughed, watching out hands and tightening my hold. 'I know'. Kili brought his second hand forward, holding my hand in both of his. 'I know you'll do whatever you can to protect all of us - you and Fili are far too concerned with everyone else's safety - I just don't want you to get hurt because of _me. _But..let's not talk about that now, yeah? Let's-'

But he shifted his hands as they held mine.

And something cold and small slipped into my hand and, looking away from my hand, I had looked at Kili. He pulled away his own hands quickly, and my fingered tightened around the object.

Kili looked back, all wide dark eyes, and then back at my clenched fist. The silence fell quickly, considering how we had just been talking animatedly. Slowly, my fingers curled apart and I looked at the object that had settled into the palm of my hand.

Oh.

'Marry me,' said Kili, shifting forward excitedly. 'Millie, _marry me'._

A...a ring.

'You said, when we looked through the treasure, that it's custom where you are from to give a ring upon asking for someones hand in marriage. In Dwarven traditions, it is custom to give a token that...that is for _her _and only _her. _This is my token, a token to promise a life of love and of loyalty, because you are my Lady, Millie, and right now I can only promise you this'.

The words had fallen from his lips in a rush. I remember explaining to him the way in which a marriage proposal would usually go about, saying that a ring would be exchanged to show the engagement. But, I-

'Yes,' I breathed, looking up from the gold and silver ring, twisting lines of metal and mithril. It was a thick ring, though lovely and simple in the most beautiful way. 'Mahal - _yes. _You...' I dove at him, clenching the ring in my fist and uncrossing my legs to wrap my arms around his neck. 'You hardly even needed to ask - Kili. A ring. You _remembered'._

' 'Course I remembered,' he muttered gruffly into my neck. 'I remember everything that you say'.

I pulled away, clenched fist resting against his cheek. 'I love you,' I told him, hardly caring at the moisture that assaulted my eyes. 'No matter _what_ happens, I will always love you'.

Jesus, I sounded like a Nicholas Sparks novel.

Kili brought me to him fiercely and as he kissed me, I was glad for the absence of the other Dwarves from out corner of the room.

I couldn't imagine a life where Kili was not there, so in that moment I had promised myself one, simple thing: If he would fight to protect me in the Battle, then I would return the favor.

Kili pulled away first, taking the ring from my hands. 'I found it in the treasury and asked Thorin if I could take it and give it to you. He approves, of course'. Kili peered up at me. 'Although, if he hadn't, I wouldn't have really cared'. I laughed, tangling my legs with his. 'I can't remember which finger you said...'

I held my hand out, hating how it had trembled. 'Left hand,' I recited. 'Left finger'.

The ring slid on easily, thank _God. _How mortifying would it have been if it hadn't? Kili, with skilled Dwarven fingers, slid it on and stared for a moment, a smile creeping onto his face. 'My betrothed,' he said, looking up at me. I smiled at him, feeling as if my face may crack in half. I just couldn't stop _smiling - _it was starting to get creepy.

'At home, you call someone that you're about to marry your fiance,' I told him, rubbing my thumb over the ring.

Kili blinked.

'But we can stick with _betrothed_, much easier,' I grinned, dipping my head to kiss him eagerly. His hands had lingered at either side of my face, his hands warm and big and everything that I had grown so used to. So glad was I that the Dwarves were all downstairs or out gathering weapons, that I settled my legs on either side of him and brought myself closer than I would have ever dared.

Kili had pulled away, all colored cheeks and hands - that had suddenly fallen to my waist - clenching. 'You're beautiful'.

I smiled, knowing that I was dirty, tired and wearing heavy clothes. But so was he. 'So are you'.

He kissed me again and I couldn't comprehend how this could ever go badly. How we could ever be torn apart by a battle that was to come - it didn't fit, not with that lovely, _happy _scene that I had lived.

_'They're coming!'_

The horror that had settled into my stomach had me casting a frozen look to Kili, who pulled away from me quickly. Still balancing against his leg, he had held me by my shoulders and looked past me, over to the balcony.

It took me a few seconds to realize that Dwalin's shout had been about Dain's army, not of Orcs and Wargs.

We untangled ourselves quickly, marching down the stairs and joining the others just as the Front Gate was thrown open and light filtered in, bright and grey. I tucked my hand onto Kili's arm, holding him at his elbow. I hadn't been ready to let him go yet - not yet. This was our moment, even if a war was brewing and thousands of Dwarves were about to destroy our peace - this moment was ours.

Quickly, as to not let the others see, Kili had dipped his head to kiss my hair.

I'd grinned, just as Fili had joined us.

'Congratulations,' he murmured, joining his brothers side. 'Kept it quiet as long as I could, but some things, apparently, you cannot stall, brother'. He cast an amused look over to Kili, braids swishing. Kili scoffed and had looked briefly to me, smiling.

My grin had turned into a full blown smile. 'So, are we gonna be like _proper _brother and sister?' I whispered to Fili, just as the Dwarves were hurrying about in preparing the Gate.

'Do not even jest about such things'.

Kili snorted.

We heard them then. Every body stalled, every head turned. Their marching was like thunder - louder than that of the Men and Elves a few nights ago, louder than the anarchy of the Goblin City. Their marching was a heavy armour, stomping footsteps and shouting. A loud, few voices shouting in Dwarfish, closer and closer.

'Come,' said Kili, bringing me forward once Fili started toward his Uncle. 'You'll stand beside me'. I walked with him, past the other Dwarves, who were awe struck by the sight that I could not yet see.

And I did stand beside him, you know. I guess being 'betrothed' automatically made me a little more important, or maybe it was Kili's way of keeping me close and honoring my 'yes' to him. That's something that I will always love about the Dwarves - how they treated their women. Dwarfish relationships were built on respect and admiration, and they _admired _the Lady Dwarves.

Thorin cast a sideways look to me as Kili and Fili flanked his sides, myself and Kili on his left, Fili on his right. He gave me a look, to which I merely smiled softly at and nodded.

He nodded back.

Such an _intimate _exchange.

I looked forward, away from the suddenly prideful and bright face of Thorin, and past the great Gate, which was now open. I breathed in deeply at the sight before me, at the dozens and dozens and _hundreds _(they're must have been over a thousand) of Dwarfish men, all covered in fine metal and standing straight, marching toward the Front Gate.

After moments of standing there and watching with stiff backs and silent stares, the marching stopped to a halt and a Dwarf stepped out from the mass that had come closer than Bard or Thranduil would have dared.

I had never seen so many Dwarves - so many of _my _kind.

They shone in the light of the waning sun, they stood motionless and, despite their height, _tall. _The one who stepped forward was Dain, and his beard peeked out from his helmet, to which he tore from his face and smiled at Thorin, walking forward quickly.

'Is this good enough for you, Thorin son of- well, Mahal, it should be King now, shouldn't it?'

His voice was rough and deep, and I had expected nothing less of a Dwarf from a place called the _Irons Hills. _Thorin bowed a little to Dain, a small smile playing on his mouth. 'Not King,' he rumbled. 'Not yet. I protect this Mountain, and _then _I will be King'.

Dain bounced his head. 'And I will be glad to watch you take that title, Thorin son of Thrain, my kin'.

Thorin didn't comment on this statement, but said instead, 'Thank you, Dain Ironfoot, for the army that you have marched to Erebor. I cannot-'

Dain shook his head. 'Elves and Men and Orcs, trying to take the treasure of Erebor? Of course I came with help. Mahal, is the treasure for _everybody_ to take? Once we heard word of Smaug's slaying and those who wished to take what is 'theirs'-'

_But it _is_ theirs, _I had thought desperately.

'-I was permitted to march nearly a thousand Iron Dwarves this way. We moved quickly, for we did not know when the Orcs and Wargs would attack,' he peered at Thorin. 'We passed the camping ground of the _Elves_ and Men. They watched us go - they will fight for the Mountain too, I presume?'

'Yes,' said Thorin. 'And only then will I settle this dispute over gold'.

Dain nodded. 'A good choice. We have a battle to prepare for, of course'. He cast his gaze over Kili and Fili, then to me. For a moment, I thought he might say something, but his eyebrows merely rose a little.

After that, the Iron Hill Dwarves were allowed into the Mountain after a load of Dwarfish shouting from Dain. I'd found the exchange interesting to watch, but Kili had tugged me back. We retreated back until I found Gandalf and Bilbo talking over something or another. Bilbo looked angry, while Gandalf merely looked frustrated.

I left Kili's side, to which he had hardly noticed. He had been too interested in the mass of Dwarves filing in, filling Erebor with the sounds of smashing, clashing and marching. I fingered my ring as I approached the duo in the further part of the hall, brow furrowed and steps quick.

'-I will _not. _Thorin will _know _if I hand it over to them, Gandalf! You are not the one will cop the outcome, I will!'

Gandalf looked up upon seeing me, and he cast a very nonchalant, grumbling gaze over my form. I cocked a brow at him meaningfully, doing the same to Bilbo. 'What are you two arguing about?'

'I see that you have been given the Gift of a Betrothal,' observed Gandalf, blanking my question entirely. 'I had wondered how long-'

'That doesn't matter,' I shot back. 'Tell me. Come on. You _know _I won't tell. What were you planning to give to _who-?' _I froze, eyes widening and watching as Bilbo fidgeted at my look. 'You have it,' I breathed. 'You _have _it. Aw, _mate - _I knew it!'

Gandalf shot out an arm and dragged me past himself and Bilbo, hiding me from the view of the others. Not that they would see anyway. 'Alexandria, I must insist that you keep this information to yourself, do you understand me, my girl? Thorin is going mad with Dragon Sickness, and the only way that we can allow Bard his treasure is if we give him a bargaining-'

'_Yes,' _I breathed. '_Oh, _yes. That is _such a _good idea! Sorry,' I apologized, quietening down. 'I've been saying for _ages _how quack Thorin is going. I can _help! _I could totally _help _with this!'

Gandalf watched me while Bilbo just sighed, entirely _done _with arguing anymore. I swear, Gandalf's ambition in life is just to ruin Bilbo's as much as possible, and Bilbo was entirely familiar with this fact.

Finally, the Wizard smiled at me.

'I have never been wrong about a person, Alexandria, and you have just proven that idea'.

* * *

**I'm so sorry for the late update, but the reassuring reviews have been lovely! No one's been rude about me not updating, you've all been very understanding and, oh gosh, I love you all. I do have exams at the moment, which sucks. Also, I've started another full time fanfiction on Star Trek. So, if you want to look, please do.**

**Once again, thank you for the reviews. I hope you liked the contents of this chapter! **


	37. The One With The Letter

**This is quite a flimsy chapter, meaning a few moments to sum up what's going to happen in the next chapter. **

* * *

As the others had slept, I had joined Bilbo and Gandalf on the balcony.

The sky was dotted with stars, and it was one of the most star filled nights that I had seen during out stay in Erebor. Most nights I would peek out into the sky and rub my arms to get away from the chill, but something about tonight just seemed _brighter. _Perhaps it was our hope that made everything seem a little better.

'Are you sure that this rope will hold me, Gandalf? inquired the antsy Hobbit, taking the length of the light, thin rope that Gandalf had handed him from his robes. He spoke quietly, as not to wake the ones who slept. Gandalf was the one who was supposed to be on watch, but had woken Bilbo and then me from our already light slumbers.

'It is Elvish rope, my dear Hobbit. Very strong,' assured Gandalf, watching as Bilbo tightened the rope around his waist. After a second, I helped him, making sure that the rope _was _tight enough. The idea of a squished Bilbo Baggins at the bottom of the Mountain wasn't _exactly _something that we wanted. 'Do you have the Arkenstone?' whispered Gandalf, dipping his hatted head.

Bilbo looked up at him, arms stiff at his sides. 'Yes'.

Gandalf straightened up to his full height. 'Then you are ready, Bilbo. Come, we must tie the rope atop the wall'. Bilbo stood back as Gandalf and I did just this, wringing his hands and glancing into the archway. The campfire cast shadows against the walls, keeping both myself and Bilbo on edge.

'Remember to give it to Bard or Thranduil and tell them _why _you're giving it to them, yeah?' I said to them Hobbit, facing him with what I hoped was a reassuring smile. 'Make sure they know that you're doing it for the _right _reasons, and not for gold or anything like that. They'll be all about honor, and if they think you're _insulting_ theirs or something-'

Gandalf gave a gruff sound of agreement. 'Alexandria is right, of course. Bard and Thranduil will take offense if you insinuate that you are giving the Arkenstone to them as if _they _are thieves'.

'No,' grumbled Bilbo. 'That would be me'.

Gandalf had smiled gently and laid a hand on Bilbo's shoulder. 'You mustn't fret, my friend. Thorin does not know that you have the Arkenstone, and it is only when Bard presents it to him on the morrow that he will wonder how Bard came by it. It is then, my dear Hobbit, that you must decide whether to tell the truth'.

'Thorin will hate me'.

'Thorin will be blinded by his greed,' countered Gandalf. 'But what comes after that, we do not know'.

'You're no help,' I muttered, and Bilbo shuffled in agreement. We got him ready to climb over the wall, then. As Gandalf helped Bilbo over the rock, I looked out onto the campsite, watching the glittering campfires and the dark outlines of tents and such. They were near the river, and I knew that Bilbo would have to walk out over the space between us and them.

'Good luck, Bilbo,' I told him.

And then, with the help of Gandalf, Bilbo scuttled down the side of the Mountain, held up by the rope and his hard, large feet scraping against the rock. When the rope, finally, went loose, Gandalf sighed and pressed an old hand to the wall, not seeing whether the Hobbit was already running toward the Elves and Men's camp. It had been too dark.

'You should sleep, Alexandria,' he said, lowering his head to look at me. 'You have been a great help and have proved yourself ten times over. You need rest. The Battle, I believe, is closer than we may think'.

I wish I had known _how _close.

* * *

I woke up to Kili's lip pressing against mine in a soft, warm manner. He tasted sweet, so I could only guess that breakfast had already been served. His breath had ghosted against my face in a laugh when my stomach grumbled - _loudly._

'Dain's army is serving food in the Hall,' he said, resting back onto his knees as I shuffled into a sitting up position, blinking and yawning and stretching. Dain's army had taken refuge in the great Hall in front of the Front Gate, whereas we slept near the great balcony, as we always had. We were, apparently, as good as Royalty to the newer Dwarves now.

Well, some more than others.

'Where's Bilbo?' I rasped, fighting around another yawn. The question had popped out of my mouth before I could even consider than Kili would not have any idea what I was talking about.

'Bilbo? Dwalin is showing him some swordplay, much like what he showed you. Why do you want to know?'

'O-oh,' I stuttered, trying to think of a good enough excuse. 'I was just...wondering. I had a dream that he...died'.

Why?

Kili cocked a dark brow. 'That sounds...grim, Millie. Are you feeling alright?' I thought about telling him, honestly. I really did consider telling him what I had helped Bilbo do the night before, but decided against it. He was Thorin's nephew, his Heir. He would have felt _obliged _to tell Thorin what had happened to the Arkenstone. I knew that he would have.

'I'm _swanky_. Don't worry about me'.

Kili stood and hefted me to my feet, smiling. He was always happy now, always engaging in conversation with me and running a finger over the ring on my hand. I'd both liked and disliked this behavior, because I _knew _that he was making up for lost time, and time that we may never have again.

Kili placed a quick hand on my shoulder when I started for the stairs, a peculiar look on his face. 'No. You stay here. I'll bring you up your breakfast. They're making bacon and eggs, will that be good?'

I had narrowed my eyed at him and tilted my head. 'Why can't I go down there? I want to meet some of Dain's Dwarves, Kili-'

'But you should stay _up here,' _insisted Kili, sliding back in front of me. 'Where it's quiet and peaceful and you can stay far, _far _away from all of those Dwarves, Millie. Far. Away-'

'Are you paranoid that I'm going to get swept off of my feet by some burly Dwarf?'

'No. I don't know what that means'.

'Oh God, you _are. _You're jealous and I haven't even _spoken _to any of them!' I curled my hands around his cheeks, making sure that he could _feel _the ring. 'Kili. I'm not hairy. I'm not _sturdy. _I'm the least attractive female Dwarf there is-'

'You're _not,' _stated Kili roughly, catching one of the hands that resting on his cheek.

'_-And,' _I carried on pointedly. 'I'm _betrothed _to you. They'll know that by now, won't they? You're a _Prince - _they're not gonna go and throw some moves on your woman, right?'

'You'll probably scare them away if you even _talk _to them,' said Kili, a grin stretching across his face. I had given him a light tap on the cheek, which had only fed his mirth. 'You're right. Come on then'.

I hadn't known whether to be offended or not.

The Hall had been filled with Dwarves, and the sight had made me so _happy. _Erebor looked alive, even if the Dwarves _were_ getting ready for Battle. They'd milled about, disappeared through the doors, smashed at armour, started fires, cooked meat, sharpened swords and axes. I had never _seen _so many Dwarves, and to really _see _how they lived.

It had been fantastic.

Kili still stuck close to my side, all lingering hands and puffing out of his chest. But, of course, people respected him. He was a Prince, a member of the Line of Durin. It was weird, to see how the hairy, bearded Dwarven men would bow their heads at him and then bow them even lower to me. I think that Dwarven women were respected and admired, above all else.

No one had even commented on my lack of beard, you know.

So, you know, it hadn't been half as bad as I thought it would be.

We found Bombur and Bofur near the food. There'd been quite a lot of dried meats that Dain's army had brought with them, as well as rice and leaves. Kili found me a dried pork, to which I'd nibbled on, and Bofur just gave my ring a lingering look.

Then turned to me with what I can only call a saucy smile.

'Alright, lass?'

I'd turned away from him with a snort and wave of my hand, biting into the tough meat and taking in the filled hall, the loud chatter, the _liveliness _of it all. Thorin was off with Dain somewhere, and Bilbo, I could see, was with Dwalin, while Gandalf hung around the sides. Dain and Thorin spoke of the Battle, of course.

The Battle.

I swallowed the last of my meat and listened as Kili spoke animatedly with Bofur and Bombur, inquiring into what the Iron Hill Dwarves had brought with them, as well as discussing what Thorin had decided already. 'We fight with the Elves and the Men,' Bofur had confirmed, nodding his head slightly. 'Aye'. He'd looked scared, worried. _Startled._

We hadn't anticipated a Battle. Only a dragon.

But the chatter was cut short, the happiness of the Dwarves at being _home. _A loud voice cut through the air, and I vaguely remember it belonging to Dain. The Dwarf's voice carried like an echo, loud and constant until finally, it died.

'_The Orc Army will arrive to our Mountain tomorrow!'_

After that, everything has fallen apart.

* * *

I lost Kili after that. I lost all of them, really. Kili went to find his Uncle and his brother, while Bombur took me back up to the balcony where Ori was, and left me there. Ori had said that he'd lost his brothers earlier, and hadn't wanted to mix with the other Dwarves, now that he knew the Battle was afoot. He said he much preferred to just _think._

'Ori,' I started, scooting closer to him. He sat near the dwindling fire, gloved hands fingering a knife. 'Ori, you can write in Khuzdul, can't you?'

Ori, with his innocent face and smile that I will always remember, nodded. 'Of course, Millie. Is there something that you wanted me to write?' There was, of course. I told him that I was inexperienced in battle, chuckling away his polite protests with a chuckle. I told him that I wanted to write a letter to someone, but I couldn't write in Khuzdul and, considering that he was so talented with writing, would he please write it for me?

Ori, being Ori, said yes.

I thought for a moment of what I wanted the letter to say. Then, after a pause in which my stomach knotted and I thought of tomorrow, I thought of _killing, _I started speaking,

'Can you write this, please?' I coughed when he nodded, waiting with the quill in hand. '..._Kili_, if you're reading this letter, then you have either stumbled upon it in some annoying, unexpected series of events, or Ori has given it to you because I have...' I swallowed, I blinked. 'I have died'. Ori stopped writing on the stained parchment, a look of mingled horror and dawning on his features. Regardless, I carried on, 'I'm getting him to write it out in Dwarfish now, though he's currently looking at me with a very sour expression on his face. There we go, got him to smile-'

And so this carried on for another half an hour.

You may be wondering why I had such little faith in my own survival, but it wasn't _that. _It was just...the idea of never being able to say goodbye to Kili wouldn't be fair on either of us, and I couldn't just _leave _it. I could tell him what I _wanted _my last words to be in that letter.

Because, coming the next day, I might not have _time _for last words.

Because...you can't imagine how scared I had been. One minute we knew there was going to be a great Battle, then the next it would the following _day. _And everything - _everything - w_as crumbling apart. Thorin, the Company, the feud with the Elves and Men - I just wanted peace, I wanted calm, I wanted _life. _Death scared me.

Death was there, waiting for me. For so many.

But I couldn't die.

I _refused._

And I refused to let any of them die either, but how could I stop it? It would be like catching smoke with your bare hands.

_Where _have I heard that before?

* * *

Kili sat close to me that night. The Hall wasn't quiet, nor was the rest of Erebor. Still, the Company - _our _Company - huddled upon that space near the balcony, near the fire, and spoke. We listened to Gandalf, we listened to Thorin give words of encouragement, we watched him grasp his nephews shoulders and praise Bilbo Baggins - but not for long. Not when he _knew_ what he'd done.

I didn't think that I would laugh, but I did. Sad, regretful laughter as I thought of my mother, my father, my cousins, my uncles, aunts, every face that I had passed in the streets, both at home and in Middle Earth. Because, tomorrow, those memories could die with me.

'I need to talk to you,' I told Kili, a whispered confession in the midst of chatter and of firelight. I would bring him back, I knew that I would not deny him of time with his family, his friends - but right now, I needed him and just him.

'Aye,' murmured Kili, close to my ear. 'I know'.

We stood without a word and Kili nodded to his Uncle, and they watched us go with sad, pitiful eyes. The betrothed who might never marry, they were thinking. And I hated it. We were confident in winning, in defeating the army of Orcs - we had Men, Elves and Dwarves on our side. But I knew, from stories, that Orcs bred like bloody _rabbits._

There would be a lot of them too.

I think Kili took me further than even _he _thought he would that night. We stayed on the higher floors, skirting around the walls at the top of the Hall and looking down at the milling Iron Hill Dwarves. Sparks flew and hot, iron rods prodded at armour and swords and axes and...and so many other things that would help us.

The room that we had stumbled upon held no clue as to what it once might have been. It had tall ceilings and walls, all stone with carvings and a fire place. Other than that, it had been bare. Just a stone block of a room with a cracked stone door that Kili had pushed open with one hand flat against the stone. We were so far from the others that you could hardly hear the hundreds of Dwarves, a floor below us.

I wondered if we could just _stay here. _

Kili pulled the door shut behind him, and rock and stone had scraped against each other. For a moment, just a moment, he had stood there, back to me and shoulders stiff. I wondered what his face looked like, as I stood behind him while worrying my bottom lip with my teeth.

'What did you want, Millie?' he asked, a sigh and question, though not an unkind one.

_You, _I thought. _You. Just for one more day. Please._

And that thought turned into a word, blurted from my mouth without any grace or subtly. 'I just...you. Kili, you - I don't-' I cut myself off with an uneasy hand clapping over my mouth. I rubbed my face and blinked, hard.

Kili turned, then. His face was drawn and, finally, _I _saw the worry that he would not show in front of his brother or Thorin. He saved it for me and only me, because I would not worry about his moment of weakness. I knew that he _needed _it.

I don't really remember going forward to kiss him, but I know that it was different from the others. And that sounds stupidly cliche, I know. But it had - it had tasted of impatience and worry and _need. _I clutched at the side of his face, not daring to go soft on this kiss. No, every ounce of what could be _missed _in the years to come was in that kiss.

And Kili had _hated _it.

'Millie,' he ground out, holding my face and breathing hard against my mouth. 'You're trying to say _goodbye'._

'Better to be safe than sorry,' I replied, but my pathetic excuse for a smile was wiped away at Kili's tight jaw and unhappy look. 'Kili _please. _Don't be noble now - don't try and reassure me or get grumpy at me. I don't want _this _to be our last night before-' I broke off, shook my head and pressed my lips firmly against his. 'Not tonight,' I breathed. 'Not tonight, _please'._

He complied with tender kiss and rough, hardened Dwarven hands in my hair and against my waist. It was when I pulled away to yank off my heavy coat that he blanched. His blush actually managed to make me _laugh, _believe it or not. 'Millie-'

'Don't have an asthma attack, Kee-Kee. I just...' I shrugged off the jacket, centimeters away from his warmth. 'I just really want to be close to you. We've never been able to really _touch _each other, Kili. Stop _blushing!' _I laughed, and it echoed around the stone, square room.

I think, perhaps, that he'd just wanted to please me that night, because he'd allowed me to shrug off the jacket, kick off my boots and throw Snowthorn onto the floor. I felt _feminine _without all of the bulky clothes and _ever so slightly_ dangerous weapon. Kili's equally thick, leather coat joined mine on the floor and _finally _I really felt him against me. All arms and chest, even though it was through cotton and leather.

'I love you,' he said, mouth against my jaw. '_Menu zirup men,' _he breathed into my neck. '_Menu tessu,' _he told me, and I swallowed the words with my mouth, tasting and knowing and grabbing at every part of him. I could feel things against me - him and his _desire. _

I allowed him to touch every part of me that he wanted, dragging his hands up and down and shivering as his thumb slipped over sensitive areas. '_Menu tessu,'  
_he repeated, mouth against my collarbone as he bent his head there.

'What are you saying?' I murmured into his tangled hair, clutching at his shoulder and sighing, eyes closed.

'Everything. You are everything'.

* * *

_Kili,_

_If you're reading this letter, then you have either stumbled upon it in some annoying, unexpected series of events, or Ori has given it to you because I have died. I'm getting him to write it out in Dwarfish now, though he's currently looking at me with a very sour expression on his face. There we go, got him to smile._

_He's promised that he will keep this letter safe, and only give it to you if I do not survive the Battle tomorrow. Honestly and obviously, I hope that I do. You keep telling me that I will, but Kili, if I do not then please do not mourn me too much. I am alive right now, and I am telling you to mourn me, yes, but to live as well. Do not spend so long living in guilt, as I know you will. If I die, I die._

_I'm not exactly going to be happy about that fact, of course._

_I love you, Kili. If you have ever doubted my love for you, then you're a moron. Where I come from, story book romances aren't exactly common. That's why I cannot believe that I managed to find you. You know what I mean when I say that you and I, we're from different worlds, my darling._

_Ori's doing quite well at this scribe thing. He's writing everything I say down. Or I think he is. I wish that I could have learnt Dwarfish. I'm awful at learning new languages, but I would have enjoyed learning it, I think._

_Being overly romantic has never really been our thing, so I won't call you 'my sun and stars' or anything like that. I suppose I shall tell you that I am yours in every way, and I died being yours and I died loving you more than anything. Because when I look at you, my Kili, I don't miss home so much anymore. I just wanted you to know that, because I guess that's my awfully, sickeningly romantic way of telling you that you're kind of like home to me._

_I'm getting all sad now, just because there are so many things that we haven't done. I won't state too many, because I don't want to make Ori blush. Too late._

_I wanted to have children with you, Kili. I wanted to see Erebor in all its glory, I wanted to taste new foods and hold your hand through it all. You are the love of my life, and I am sorry that I have left you._

_I hope I died for something worthwhile. I hope that it is enough for me to be forgiven for the things that I have done. I hope you live, for the both of us. Tell everyone that I love them, I'm sure they'll just love that. Tell Dwalin that he was a good teacher, and tell Thorin that he is a good King. Tell Fili that he will rule well one day. And to you, I say thank you. I cannot fathom into words how much I need to thank you._

_I don't know what else to say._

_Thank you, Kili. Thank you for putting up with me, for accepting me and for loving me the way that you did. Thank you for forgiving me and making me a stronger and a better person._

_All my of love,_

_Alexandria Millicent Fournier._

_Your Millie._

* * *

**Before any of you perverts ask, they _didn't _have sex. Now you can blush and giggle because I _know _some of you were thinking that. They just got intimate, is all. **

**That letter, by the way, has been written for a few months. I always knew that Millie was going to leave Kili a 'just in case' letter, so I always knew how it was going to happen. I also already have the Battle written out, in case you were wondering.**

**I'm so sorry for the lack in updates! This chapter was so hard to get out, but after some lovely messages to my Tumblr (kiliyousosilly), I managed to get rid of of that writers block for this story. Which reminds me, hey, I have a Star Trek fanfiction! Chekov/OC, because apparently I like the cute cupcakes of the film.**

**I really hope this chapter was okay. Kinda angsty, but it's to be expected. The stuff with the Arkenstone will erupt next chapter, so get your tissues for poor baby Bilbo and 'stfu thorin' Gandalf. **

**Thank you for the reviews guys!**


	38. Pre-Battle Pep Talks

**Forget what I said about the other chapter being jumpy, _this _one is. **

* * *

Everything from that day is crystal clear. Like, _really _clear. I can remember every little thing that happened. We didn't really sleep, so there wasn't really any waking up to that day. Most of the Dwarves would doze off for maybe an hour or half an hour, and then wake up, look at their weapons, talk and then stare around them.

I didn't sleep at all, nor did Bilbo, Fili, Kili or Thorin. They were the only ones who I didn't see slip their eyes closed and go slack against the fire light. Fili had kept on talking to Kili and I, but not really about anything in particular. Just opinions and passing comments, playful smiles and grips onto his brothers arm. We ate a lot, too.

Thank God for Dain's army and their good supply of dried meat, is all I can say.

It was that morning, though, that Bard knocked once again (the Men and the Elves were right outside the Front Gate now, since we had warned them of the Orcs army) and had told Thorin of the Arkenstone. He told Thorin that he had the Heart of the Mountain and, oh, wouldn't it be _lovely _if Thorin could have it back?

In return for Bard's part of the treasure, that is.

'The Elf loving _bas-'_

'Gloin!' Thorin had snapped, eyes glittering in the dark. The Company, plus Gandalf and Dain, had been gathered near the balcony, of which doors had been closed tightly. The preparation for Battle still waged in the Hall below, and Bilbo's eyes were lower and lower with everything word that Thorin said. 'I cannot _understand _how he has the Arkenstone-'

'Perhaps they _did _sneak in, Thorin,' supplied Fili, by his Uncle's right side. 'There might be entrances that we do not know of, they could have quite easily-'

'It is impossible!' ground out Thorin. With shifty eyes I had looked to Bilbo, who looked about ready to burst. 'The Arkenstone is of my father's and of mine. How did he _come _by it?'

'I gave it to him'.

Bilbo's voice carried like a gunshot in the silence and everyone had looked at him like he'd just proclaimed his undying love for the Spice Girls. There's nothing wrong with that, of course.

I had looked at Bilbo, mouth drawn into a tight line.

'I beg your pardon, Master Hobbit?' inquired Dain, thick eyebrows drawing into a genuinely confused expression. No doubt he had heard of Bilbo's help along the quest, as well as his intelligence and bravery. Not only that, but Bilbo was one of _us_ and Dain could not see past the treasure being the _Dwarves _to understand why Bilbo would do what he had done. 'What was that?'

I opened my mouth, but Bilbo shot me a heavily meaningful look that shouted _SHUT UP MILLIE. _'I had the Arkenstone, and I gave it to Bard the Bowman and King Thranduil in the late hours of last night'. He looked to Thorin. 'I'm sorry, Thorin. I did what I thought was right'.

Thorin's face remained quite blank, and the other Dwarves had stared, wide eyed, still quite shocked. I had shifted my gaze to Gandalf, who'd looked merrily unperturbed by the exchange. 'You _gave _them the Arkenstone - the treasure of my _own _family, Master Baggins? Because you thought it was _right?_'

Bilbo shifted, but stuck his chin out determinedly. 'Yes. I did'.

All calmness that remained in Thorin snapped and he charged forward, face a twisted mess of anger and betrayal. 'What in _Durin's name _made you think that would be a _good thing to do,_ you loathsome-?'

Dwalin clamped a hand onto his shoulder while Gandalf, finally, stepped forward to intervene. 'Thorin Oakenshield!' he said, in that deep, rumbling voice that only came out when G-Dog was _pissed_. 'Have you not, for a moment, tried to consider _why _Bilbo would do such a thing? Think for a moment about how you are handling this business with the gold-'

'That does not give Master Hobbit here the right to take what is not his!' snapped Dain. 'You are a Wizard, not a Dwarf. You do not have the right to interfere with our dealings!'

Gandalf's comeback had been quick and snippy. 'Was Bilbo not promised a share of this treasure? Myself and Bilbo Baggins have done more for this Company than anyone, so do not talk to me of _rights. _Besides, it was never stated what he would do with his share, was it, Balin, my good friend?'

Balin, who I remembered having the contracts, sucked on his lips before stating, slowly, 'It was not, Gandalf. No'. He dared not look at Thorin, who seethed and grumbled and cursed Bilbo Baggins.

Gandalf smiled serenely. 'Well then'.

Thorin was still not so easily swayed from his anger. Honestly, I could see _why _he was so angry, but now we could _at least_ guarantee a battle would not happen after the battle with the Orcs.

'You have betrayed me, Bilbo Baggins, and I don't forgive so easily, and nor do I _forget. _If it were not for the army that comes to take Erebor, I would have you out of this Mountain by night'. Thorin glowered and glared, pulling himself from Dwalin roughly. Beneath that anger, he'd looked _hurt. _'This will be settled upon Azog's death and the death of the Orcs'.

* * *

Fili showed me how to sharpen Snowthorn. The sword had, admittedly, been scraped up a little, so it had been nice to see her smooth and pretty once again. Yes, Snowthorn is a girl.

'You must remember to _think _before you _swing, _Millie,' said Fili, voice quiet as he sat among the hundreds of Dwarves with me. 'Remember all that we have taught you. Stay close to Kili and I, we will protect you'.

'I know you will,' I had murmured. 'You two always seem to be there when I'm in trouble, even when I insist that you _don't _have to be there'.

Fili had grinned, shifting his position on the rotting bench. 'You sound like Kili. He'd always _insist _that he didn't need my help, when really he only wanted to prove how able he was'. Fili continued to smile, eyes flashing to where Kili was in the distance. 'But that would only result in him getting in a load of trouble with our Ma, considering he'd come home injured in some way'.

I listened, because I _wanted _to know this stuff. We had hours left before the Orcs would stand outside our Front Gate, and in that time I needed to, in some way, ensure that I had somehow said a little goodbye to the Dwarves. Well, not _goodbye, _but just...talked to them. I was not so doubtful about my own survival, but that didn't mean that I hadn't wanted to see how each of them were doing.

Fili made a little noise before reaching into the depths of his thick, fur coat. 'I had almost forgotten. You'll need something other than your sword out there, Millie. Take this, and hide it in your boot, or somewhere it will be hidden away nicely'. With that, Fili had handed me a neat little dagger, simple and small. I nodded, understanding, and slipped it beneath my belt.

'Thank you,' I'd said, smiling at him.

Fili smiled back, only a little sadly.

'I need to go and find Bilbo,' I said finally, carefully sheathing Snowthorn once again. 'He's public enemy number one. Everyone's completely ignoring him'. I stood, stretching out my limbs.

'I think I saw him eating with Bombur, near the front of the hall,' was all that Fili had said, before nodding to me as I left in search of Bilbo and Bombur. Many of the Dwarves were in a difficult position, all shifty and guilty when presented with the problem of Bilbo's 'betrayal'. None of them could talk back to Thorin, only Gandalf could do so without disrespecting the King too much.

Bilbo was as good as shunned. Only those who had agreed with giving the gold to Bard in the first place could see _why _had done what he had done, but the others were so obsessed with the honor and the _bad _of it, that they could not forgive him. But I could see that they _wanted _to.

I, of course, understood how doing something for good could have such awful consequences, so I _didn't _shun or ignoring or hate on Bilbo Baggins, because I knew _why _he had done it.

That, and it would have been kind of two faced of me. I _did _help him, after all.

'My Lady,' greeted a few of the Dwarves as I walked through the crowded Hall in search of Bilbo Baggins. It had made me snicker, when they called me _my lady. _I mean, I looked _less _like a Lady than ever, with my coat, boots, messy hair and tired expression. A girl, yeah, but not a _Lady._

But still, it'd been nice all the same. So, I had returned these greetings with smiles and nods because, one day, I might be a _Princess _of some sorts to these people. A member of the Royal Line of Durin, poppin' out those Royal babies and making sure Thorin didn't make a _complete _arse out of himself.

I hoped so, anyway.

* * *

'-and they have _good reason _to cast me out. I betrayed Thorin - all of them!'

'Master _Hobbit_,' Gandalf ground out, leaning against the wall in the corner of the hall, away from many of the inhabitants. 'I have told you many a time, you have _saved _these Dwarves from fighting a battle over gold-'

'But we don't know that!' insisted Bilbo, curly hair waving as he had looked up, frustrated. 'We don't _know_ that Thorin will not call another Battle to fight for the Arkenstone! Yes, they are helping us now, but what about after? I shouldn't have given it to them, I should have left things as they were and returned the stone to the treasure pile-'

'Bilbo Baggins! I give you my _word _that this was a good enough decision, do you understand me? Yes, perhaps Thorin will continue to be angry, but when is he not? The events that will transpire today with change that stubborn Dwarves mind, let us hope!'

Go G-Dog.

His reminder of the Battle, though, set us all into silence.

'Come, we must join the others,' said Gandalf finally and Bombur had nodded solemnly, biting into some bacon. 'They will begin filling the battlements and the Front Gate with lines of Dwarves. And then, so begins one of the greatest Battles I'm sure many of us will see'.

* * *

That's the one thing that I will remember about that day: finding the others and _really _getting ready for the Battle.

I had armored up with the gauntlets and the matching breastplate, along with light chain mail and my shirt that went on over it. I left my coat, deciding that it would be too heavy and could get in the way. My breeches stayed on, though, along with my boots and my belt. Snowthorn lingered at my side, and the dagger found its way into my boot.

I allowed Kili to braid my hair, as it was him of whom found me as I had changed my clothing. He had looked at me for a second, all searching eyes and tight jaw, before approaching me and running a hand through my knotty hair.

'Would you like me to give you a braid?'

I nodded, searching for something that could be used as a hair band. 'Yes'.

And so he did, tying my smaller braid into the thick mass of twisting hair. I couldn't believe how much my hair had grown, and the transition from human to Dwarf had made it thicker, which _also _made it much more tangled. Kili had tugged and twisted my hair into a fitting braid that hung down to below my shoulder blades.

'Come on,' Kili had said that, leading me to the others with a hand on my arm. The Hall was creaking and groaning with the noise of the Iron Hill Dwarves as they gathered their weapons, tightened their armour and awaited further instruction. There were certain Dwarves among the bunch who ordered where each group should go. Some would go on the battlements in case the Gate was breached, but most would join the Men and the Elves in front of the Mountain.

I couldn't stop my hand from _shaking_.

I could see Bilbo's mithril shirt beneath his clothes and chain mail peaking out from beneath the sleeves of the Company. They looked stern, ready, _prepared. _I wasn't. I couldn't be. My armour felt thick and heavy against my skin - so cold and unwelcoming.

'Are they ready?' Thorin had asked Dain, who walked over from the mass of Dwarves. The Dwarf nodded once; a quick, stern nod. 'Good. What of the Elves and the Men?' He never once looked at Bilbo, his jaw tight and eyes hard.

'A watchmen says that they are gathered outside of the Gate. Many more Elves than Men - the Elvenking may have called for more,' said Dain, and somehow he made this sound as if it were a _bad _thing. But all I could think was _this is it, we'll line up and then that's it. We'll fight. A real Battle._

Thorin continued to tell Dain that the army should follow himself, Kili and Fili out. The King and his Heirs. Our Company would be close behind, in the front line. We would wait for the Orcs to come, and then we would charge on Thorin's word.

I looked at each of the Dwarves, my friends. Nori, Dori and Ori were close together, and Dori just _looked _at Ori like he was his _little brother _and he just wanted him to be safe. Kili and Fili spoke to each other, voices low and gazes locked. Dwalin and Balin clutched at each others arms in and nodded, firmly. I stood there, breathing and closing my eyes and remembering every lesson with Dwalin.

I could do this. _I could do this._

I had looked to Bilbo, whose jaw was set and eyes distant as he stared ahead, past caring about the Arkenstone or the consequences to his action. All that mattered now was life and death and how those two opposites wouldn't matter once we were out on that field, once the Battle begun. He'd survive - I _knew _he would. Bilbo Baggins was the most unlikely hero I had ever met, but he was one nonetheless.

The Front Gate was pushed open.

'Fili, Kili,' said Thorin, breaking through the murmurs.

The brothers joined their King's side and, together, the threesome marched out into the dim light of the day. I found myself between Bilbo and Dori, the latter of whom smiled at me and looked ahead. After a small pause we moved forward and, to my surprise, I heard the sound of marching start behind us.

Jesus, we were leading the army out.

I went to look over my shoulder, but I had felt Dori's hand on it, pushing me forward and keeping me steady. I realized then how odd this must seem to them - a Dwarven woman, someone of whom they held in high regard in their race, joining them in battle. They had protected me up until this point, and they would continue to do so.

And I knew I had to survive. For myself, and for all of them.

The Dwarven army behind us slowly filled in the gap that we walked through, in the middle of the army of Men and Elves. An army of three races, united for this one moment in time for a common cause: to protect the Mountain and to keep away the oncoming storm that threatened it.

The Dwarves, Gandalf, Bilbo and I joined Thorin, Fili and Kili at the head of the army. To the sides of us, Thranduil the Elvenking stood with his son and his Elves, and Bard stood with his Men of Laketown. I breathed in deeply, hurriedly squeezing my way to Kili and looking at him, not bothering to hide my fear or numb mind. I was caught up in the moment, so _scared, _that I almost didn't catch the melancholic smile that graced his features.

I glanced down the line, looking at the Dwarves as they stared ahead, shifting from foot to foot with strong faces held high and hands lingering at weapons; swords, axes, bows and arrow. I finally looked behind me, at the hundreds and hundreds of Elves and Men and Dwarves, all of them shifting with the weight of apprehension. The Elves stood taller than us all, so still and calm faced.

I tried desperately to not show my fear then, upon seeing these men - no, these _soldiers _face the prospect of battle with such bravery and admirable courage. I clenched my shaking hands and closed my eyes, breathing in deeply through my nose, trying to find and share the bravery of my Dwarves, who stood around me.

I opened them only to the sound of marching, creeping through the eerie silence, staring out to the tips of the ruins of Dale and the river and what came from the shadows there, snarling and shaking the ground.

And, in that darkness of fear, I clutched onto bravery. _  
_

* * *

**Shorter chapter than most, but it's only because I could only fit so much into the pre-battle thoughts. I should be uploading the next chapter soon, considering it's already written, but I want to make sure it's perfect.**

**Thank you for the reviews!**


	39. The Battle

They were closer. So much closer and standing ahead of us. It was like in films, where the two opposing sides stand on either end of the battle field and w_ait._ From here I could see their faces - ugly, marred and angry. There was so many of them. Two many to see the end of the army. We had watched as they approached, and now we stood.

Thorin took a step forward, Kili grazed a thumb over my palm. 'Stay close to me,' he murmured, so fast and so quick that I almost didn't catch it. I only had a small moment to glance up at him before Thorin was _shouting._

_'For Erebor!'_

There was a beat, and we shouted back, mirroring Thorin's words.

I saw Azog, as I whipped my head around to look madly at the Orc army. Azog, riding on a Warg as he shouting something, mouth moving, to the roaring army behind him. We screamed at each other, our two armies, and then it was happening.

And we had charged forward, a surging force. I hadn't thought of the actual _charge, _but it was terrifying, fast, _horrible. _I was at the front, meaning those who were faster than I quickly overtook me as I drew my sword and tried so desperately to keep my eyes glued on both Kili, Fili and those snarling beasts that ran toward us the moment we took flight.

But I got lost. I got lost in the army that overtook me, and before I knew what was happening we were colliding with the Orcs. They fell into our ranks with retching snarls and filthy swords that swiped and stung.

I had been scared. So, so _scared_.

In a fit of panic and revulsion, I whirled around with Snowthorn and stuck her into the first Orc that came my way. It cut into his belly, slicing into the grey, slimy looking skin. The blood was more watery that I thought it would be, pooling from the wound as he had looked at me and I had looked at him, hand shaking harder than ever.

_You can't care, _I reminded myself. _You have to keep going. Find Kili._

I did keep going. I saw who was friend and enemy and I ignored the scrapes that were cast onto my cheeks and the various attempts to end my life that came from wailing Orcs. Everything was so fast and bloody and, God, there had been so many ending grunts and final breaths all around me, pressing in at all sides and I was _alone_.

'_Kili!' _I had screamed, right into the madness.

* * *

I had been in a mass of death, blood, rain and dirt. Snowthorn stood in front of me, level with my eyes. I slashed at anything that looked Orc or Goblin like, anything that swung at _me. _My armour was heavy, my muscles screamed, my cheeks were wet with tears, my palms red raw with blisters. I couldn't tell how long I had been on my own, how long it had been since we had surged forward.

In the haze of it all, I had seen Thorin. The first familiar face in what seemed like _hours _and _hours. _He was filthy and bloody and ferocious looking.

_No. _In the haze of it all, I had seen _true horror._

Thorin, standing before Bolg. The son of Azog was rearing with his weapon, mouth moving and tongue lashing, sharp teeth biting into the bleeding skin of his own lips. Thorin stood before the beast, as tall as he could be against the seven foot giant. I wondered if Azog was dead, if Thorin had killed him - if Bolg was as intent upon killing the Heirs of Durin as his father had been.

I had known it was Bolg that Thorin stood before, simply because of how Thorin _stared _with horror and determination.

My vision was momentarily blocked as something hurled at me in my distraction, a grey and black blur of snarling and wailing. Although the Orc already had an arrow dislodged into his shoulder blade, I struck it and the blood matted my hands. I moved quickly, pushing and jabbing and twirling toward Thorin, feeling the nicks of sharp edges pull at my cheeks and neck and arms.

When I saw the King once again, he was raising his sword arm, just as Bolg raised his. He was a _King, _then. Defender, Warrior, _King. _His mouth was open in a scream that I did not hear, a roar of rage and effort as he swung his sword, aiming for Bolg's shoulder. Everything was slow, my eyes trained on what was happening, on the King, _my_ King.

Because no matter what Thorin's faults were, he was my friend and my King. The idea of him dying in that instant set my stomach dropping and a desperate need for it all to end. All of it, because otherwise my friends, my Kili - they all might die.

Thorin's sword swung, but just as Bolg's own weapon was nearing Thorin, the Orc changed his direction and moved swiftly to the side, allowing a Warg to spring from the depths of the battle and onto Thorin. The King let out an inaudible tell and dropped under the weight of it, and I was reminded of what Azog had done to Thorin after the Goblin City.

I screamed.

Bolg's mouth twisted into a sick smile, pleased at his trick. For a moment he watched, before ripping the Warg away from the heavily injured Thorin, mouth twisting into what resembled a grin. Thorin did not move. His sword lay beside him.

I had heard Kili and Fili before I saw them.

Even through what was happening, I couldn't help but be so desperately relieved that he was alive and still fighting. He charged and he pushed his way to Thorin, Fili by his side.

Shouts of anger, of horror, of disbelief. Others were there too. I thought I saw the form of Gandalf, staring past a flurry of fighting Orcs, but he was ducking before I could so much as catch his eye, to beg him to _do something. _

Kili and Fili, side by side, had thrust themselves into the fight.

They were at Thorin's side, throwing themselves into the battle, throwing themselves at Bolg with determination and fury, their faces masks of horror and remorse, the kind that breaks into a persons soul and makes them fight even more. And they had. Oh God, _they had. _And so had I, swinging my way toward them, cutting and jabbing with no real skill.

_You have to reach them, Millie._

It was only then that it occurred to me that Thorin might be dead. _Gone_. The thought struck me hard. Why was everyone still fighting? Why was no one turning, dropping their weapons, listening to the silent breath of Thorin, King Under the Mountain? Mourning the loss of the King, the King who fought to reclaim his home from Smaug.

But Kili, _my Kili, _fought in the middle of the battle, in the clearing with Bolg where no other person dared to stray. The fight carried on around that area, fast moving and horrible. And Fili, with his mass of hair, sticky with blood, his blue eyes shining with the thought of his fallen Uncle.

But when other Orcs found their way to Kili and Fili, the world stopped, the silence fell, and I knew, I _knew, _what was meant to happen. They would die by Thorin's side - die _protecting him. _But no. _No._

I pushed the Orc that I was fighting away from me, not caring about the knife that cut into the skin of my palm.

_The Line of Durin will not be so easily broken._

As I had moved froward to run, to burst through the army that surrounded me, I was caught on the arm by Dwalin. The Dwarf was covered in gore, and he sneered at me, moving to elbow an Orc in the face. 'No!' he roared. He knew as well as I did that Thorin was probably dead, that _his friend _was dead. But still, he was stopping me. Stopping me from this suicide mission.

'Kili!' I sobbed, yanking away from him. 'Fili!' They would _die. _Didn't he understand?_ 'This_ is why I'm _here_!' I couldn't save Thorin, just let me save _them._

Dwalin pulled me back more, right to his chest. Both our swords found the Orc that came from the right, a crouching, tripping mess. We were teacher and student. Elves pushed around at all sides, Dwarves sent by Dain, all had come to our aid. 'They can _fight!' _he shouted. 'You'll get yourself killed, _khuzd! _Fight here, stay away and I will protect-'

But I had looked over to where Kili and Fili fought, and the little Orcs drew nearer, and Bolg's weapon drew high, high above the brothers who flanked their fallen Uncle, and a Warg stood by Bolg. Arrow were shot into the air and landed around the fighting brothers. '_No,' _I choked, not _caring _about my own death. All that mattered was _their _lives, _their _futures. I was brought here for a reason, and if this was it, then _so be it. _

So I had pushed myself forward, feet slipping against the wet ground, tears _pouring _down my face. I ran, ignoring Dwalin's shouts, and maybe some others - maybe they saw too, maybe the Company had all stopped to stare in horror at the fallen King. At the fighting Heirs, protecting their Uncle with shield and body. And the girl trying so desperately to do _good_. A sorrowful sight, indeed.

Snowthorn bashed anything out of the way, and I hardly knew whether it hit friend or foe. I tripped into the fight, my eyes wide, my sword raised.

I thought of everything I could, of memories of home, of Middle Earth, of seeing Kili for the first time, his smile stretched, an ale in his curled hands. I wondered what it would have been like; a life with him. A life without danger, without worries, without death. We might have had children. I might have wandered the markets of a rebuilt Dale. I might have seen Erebor new and beautiful and _there. _I might have seen places of fiction. I might have held a newborn baby. I might have met Dis. I might have laughed again, cried, tasted my favorite food, pointed to something in the distance and held Kili's hand and looked at him and, oh God, he was _so_ beautiful.

He would cry, I knew he would. He would scream at me for what I had done, scream at ears that could not listen. I could only hope that he would live happily, that he would remember me and know that it was okay to move on. I knew he wouldn't, of course. But I had _hoped _that he would.

And, God, I'd hoped he knew how much I loved him. I hoped Ori would give him the letter, and he would know, he would see, he would smile. A world without Kili smiling was a world not worth living in. Fili would, in the end, put his sorrows at ease. They looked after each other, those two. All they had needed to do was _live._

And with these thoughts on my heart, I had thrown myself in front of Bolg, knees buckling as I ducked in front of Kili, who had pushed himself in front of Fili in a fit of rage. The brief glance that I got of him showed dirty cheeks and a clenched jaw and then _wide, scared _eyes as he saw me. Fili flanked his left side, feet digging into the mud by Thorin's fallen form. Orcs peeled toward them - _us._

I thought I heard the brothers shout my name, though a hush fell as the realization came to so many that Bolg, son of Azog, was about to end the Line of Durin, to avenge his father. He had killed Thorin, and he would kill the last Heirs.

Well, he would _try_.

Snowthorn found Bolg's weapon halfway, blocking the blow that would have killed the distracted Kili, and my arms screamed, bones creaked and cracked. I thought of my training session with Kili. _I thought of Kili. _The Dwarf who stood behind me. The brothers who stood behind me. I stared at Bolg, my mouth open in a silent scream, the pain just _too much._

_For him_, I thought._ For _all_ of them. _

Despite my screaming arms, I had drawn away Snowthorn, metal scraping against Bolg's own sword. The beast had started forward, but a form that looked suspiciously like the bear Beorn _threw _himself toward the Orcs back, taking his distraction as a chance to crush the giant Orcs body with his own furry one, sharp teeth sinking into the pale, marred flesh. Bolg's roar was drowned out by the sudden pouring of Orcs, Goblins, Elves, Dwarves and Men - all of them running so fast that I lost sight of anyone familiar, of anyone I _knew_.

But the arrow was already in my stomach.

An Orc, perhaps, had seen me threaten their leader and had retaliated. They had drawn an arrow, and they had shot it. The arrow had found its target, anyway. A sharp point, embedded deep into my stomach. Blood spreading like a hand print beneath my clothing and armour.

I remember sounds. I remember my sharp, choking breath, shocked at the pain. I hadn't expected it to hurt so much. Death, I mean. I had known that, if I would die, it would be from an injury like the one I had gained, but it...it _hurt. _It struck me, how much the pain caused me to lose control of any muscle, any effort left within me.

Snowthorn fell to the ground, and with a startled look at the gaping a Bilbo, lost in the crowd of battle, I fell to my knees.

I thought I heard yells, ordering anyone to make sure Thorin's body was protected - and '_Millie? Where is Millie?'_- I wondered if he was still alive. I hoped he was. I _prayed _he was. I knelt there, amidst the carnage, and I was _dying_ and they didn't _know_.

I didn't want to do it alone. I was scared, so _afraid._

I tried to get up, but I was forced to the ground by pushing and shoving. Something dribbled down my chin when I coughed, and my troubled mind took a moment to realize that it was blood. Warm blood - tasted of iron, _pooling _around my tongue.

That meant internal bleeding. That, or I had bitten my own tongue in the midst of the pain.

I looked down. The arrow looked odd, coming out of me like it had. Out of place. Bloody. Blurred. By tears. By a fuzzy picture that had sound and being and- and made me feel like I needed to _sleep._

I was so tired.

I had been pushed onto my stomach and the arrow _screeched_ in protest. I rolled onto my side. I stared. I cried. Dirt in my mouth. Blood in my mouth. Salt and water in my eyes. Feet against my arms, pressing, bodies making up the ground beneath their feet. My shaking hands finding a long, wooden arrow. _Hurt. __Make it stop, oh God. I'll die now. Make it stop. _It burnt, it _stung. _

I can't remember how long I had lay there, feeling the pressing of heavy feet against every part of me. I felt hot all over. Hot, then cold. The screams were the worst. People dying all around me, blood falling from the sky like rain and landing on my face. Bodies fell next to mine, Orc and Man, Dwarf and Elf. I whined, my eyes too heavy to open, my body burning too much to move.

I was just another fallen body, at the end of the day.

Death took its time.

In the haze of it all, I had found solace in half solid memories. These were hallucinations brought on by the poison in the arrow, which also explained the burning. The coughing up of blood was internal bleeding. I was dying. I was remembering. I was reliving something to get me through this burning, this poison induced _hell._

_The taste of apples, the feeling of hands in mine, the smell of perfume in my parents room, my fathers cold hands after he'd defrosted the car windows on a winters morning, the clattering of plates in the evening, Kili's stubble beneath my palms, Dori's admonishing voice, the campfires in the woods, my ringtone, slamming shot glasses onto a tabletop, Thorin's rare smiles, Nori sneaking Ori some extra food, Balin calming one of Dwalin's fits of rage, Kili looking at me with his eyes dark and his hands on my face._

_My mother. My father. _

_The sun, rain against a window at night, wind, clouds, splashing sea against the rocks, sand between my toes. _

_Cats purring, the smell of cut grass, rustling leaves. _

_Wind chimes and rain._

_'__This _is why I love you,' said Kili, drunk and reckless and talking to me on a flight of stairs in Laketown. 'I love you'. I'll never hear him say it again. '_I love you'. _I should have listened to him say it a million times more. But he _would_ say it again, even if I would not hear it, because he was _alive_. He had to be. I was brought here to save him and I had.

___'This _is why I love you'.

I only knew that now.

_And I love him._

My eyes sliding shut. The pain ebbs away, the shouts drift into echoes, my hand falls against the mud. I think of his face, tough and dark. His hair, soft and brittle. His hands, sliding over my skin. His kiss. His heat. Him. Only him. Only _ever _him. Kili. _Kili._

_And I love you._

* * *

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	40. Kili

Kili, son of Dis, was scared.

He had never truly been alone in his life. He would usually have Fili by his side nearly all of the time, or his mother to talk to when he was feeling particularly down, or Thorin to hear stories from and to train him, or even Dwalin to be there. He had many figures in his life who made up the busyness and the voices that seemed to cause a constant _something _that always ensured that he was never scared, or never alone.

Upon arriving at Bag End those months ago, he'd found another person to be _there. _And, with Millie, his life was filled to the brim with those that distracted him from the foreign idea of being alone. From the moment they began their journey, she was there.

Kili was brave, and he prided himself in that fact. He prided himself in the fact that he was never so easily scared, though he knew that others did not see this as a good thing for him. He would rush into situations without thinking first. That's what his Ma would say, anyway. She'd slap him with a dishcloth and tell him to _think _one once, for Durin's sake.

Kili had survived the Battle, yes. But he was alone and that made him _scared. _

He was aching with the injuries that he had acquired. An arrow had scraped his cheek, and one had pierced his hand, which he now held to his stomach, curled and stinging. He felt weak, tired, grimy and, if he did not seek help soon, his hand would surely get infected with the dirt and Orc blood that had seeped beneath his armor.

But that was the furthest thing from his mind, because he was _alone. _He...he knew his Uncle Thorin was dead. He had stood beside the body and he had defended it, _knowing _that Thorin was not breathing anymore. Blood had seeped through his Uncle's clothes and patched at his skin like paint. There were lots of wounds upon his Uncle's body. Messy. Harsh. Warg bites, Kili knew.

Fili had fought beside Kili too, and Kili thinks that Fili knew the truth of Thorin, though he had ignored it. He had kept fighting with Kili.

But Fili had disappeared when the Orcs had coming hurtling toward them, and Kili could not find him. He had stayed beside Thorin's body, fighting and fighting with Dwalin and Dori closest to him. When the Battle had died out, Kili had still stayed near Thorin. He had cried and crawled and stayed at his Uncle's side, the only one who had been able to.

Cold and hurting. That's all he could feel.

As he stumbled through the bodies, he looked around him. The Battle field was thick with arrows pointing from the deceased, staring eyes and just...just the _dead. _

Kili could not even comprehend the fact that his brother could be dead. It was not fair. It could not _be._ He should have stayed beside Fili; he should have been there with his brother. But they had been separated, and to think that his brother might have died alone-

No. Fili was alive and so was...so was Millie.

He could not bare to think of what he had seen in that moment when she had come hurtling from the midst of the Battle toward Fili and he, so scared and so defeated and so _ready _to die. He had seen it in her eyes, and for the first time since meeting her, Kili had hated her a little. Because she was _going_ to leave him. She was _considering _leaving him so that she could _die instead._

He tripped over a Warg and coughed, his throat parched and dry. The sky above looked grey and miserable, mirroring how so many felt. Others wandered around him, searching for fallen friends and those still living beneath the piles of bodies.

Millie Fournier was his betrothed and Fili was his brother and Thorin was his Uncle. Kili could not have been the only one to have survived - it was not _fair _for him to lose _all of them _in one day. He refused to.

Kili remembers the first time he saw Millie Fournier. She was so soft looking, so hairless and small compared to everything that he had seen of Dwarves. At first, he had thought that she was a very short, very pretty Women. But no, she was a Dwarven Lady through and through, no matter what tales she told of her past life. And she was his. He'd never thought that he would find a real, proper woman to agree in marrying _him, _but he had.

And that's why he refused to lose her. She was his and he was hers and that's how it would be until they died in their old age, happy and surrounded by children and _Fili._

'_Fili! Millie!'_

To his own ears, Kili's shout sounded raw, hitching in the very depths and driest most painful parts of his throat.

And, by Durin, he heard a groan. Not ten feet away from him there was a masculine, distinctive sound that was so _Fili _that it had Kili near sobbing as he staggered through bodies, fallen helmets and arrows, over to the mass of messy, matted blonde hair and the nose that stuck above it all.

'Fili,' he rasped, hands fluttering around his brother who did not reply. There was an arrow sticking out of his leg and a nasty cut going along his right eye, bloody and open and marring the skin there. Kili, for a moment, considered whether Fili would go blind because of this. A blue eyes snapped open and a gasp came from his brother, whose back arched in utter, terrified pain.

'Fili, no, no - don't move!' Kili didn't care that his hand was screaming in protest, the dried blood cracking and bending as he pushing his brother back down onto the filthy floor, ensuring that he would not move.

Fili grabbed onto Kili's arm and groaned yet again, teeth bared at the utter pain that he was enduring. His teeth were stained with blood. Kili started. 'I know, I _know!' _Kili shouted for help, waving his arms and getting one of the Healers to notice him. The Elves would help his brother - they would _have _to. He had found Fili and, thank Durin, Fili was _alive _and _breathing. _'I won't leave you, Fee. I _won't_'.

And despite how his hand throbbed and bled and how heavy his heart felt, Kili meant it.

'_Mi-'_ Fili opened his good eye once again, and it found Kili, wild and desperate and pain filled. '_Millie,' _he choked out, and his lips were tinged with red. '_Millie,' _he repeated, as if to get it through to Kili, who was watching for the Elves as they wove through the dead to reach Kili and Fili.

It was Millie's name that had Kili looking wildly back to his _alive _brother. 'Where is she, Fee? Fili, did you see her after she-'

But he was being pushed out of the way by the Man and the Elf that stooped low to reach the Heir of Durin and, upon recognizing who Fili was, they went about checking over his body and calling for a stretcher so that they could take him to the Healing Tent. Kili watched, half on his knees, and clenched his jaw. He wanted to reach out to his brother, grab onto every part of him and breath in the fact that Fili was _alive. _

'You are hurt, also,' said the Elf, a male with a curved sword at his hip and a quiver of bows at his back. Kili had lost his. 'You should-'

Kili shook his head, watching as a stretcher was brought for his brother. 'No. I need to find someone, but-' He looked at Fili, who had passed out yet again as they pushed him onto the stretcher. His brother was safe, he was in good hands. One half of Kili's whole was safe.

'He shall be taken care of,' replied the Elf without much emotions. Kili had never known whether to like Elves. He knew that he_ shouldn't,_ but he didn't understand why the actions of one Elf should affect his opinion of them all. But his Uncle didn't, therefore he didn't._  
_

Thorin.

Thinking of his Uncle only made Kili want to find Millie more. It was a desperation to see her face, to see her chest rise and fall, to feel her heartbeat beneath his palm. He needed to feel the same relief that he had felt when he had laid eyes on Fili. He needed to see her and to touch her living body and know that she was _alive._

He stood finally after watching Fili be carried away, arguing with himself of whether his brother would be safe in the hands of strangers. He then reminded himself that he should not waste time and had started forward. Fili would, of course, be fine. He would be looked after by the highest of Dwarves and Elves. Because...because Fili was King Under the Mountain now.

Kili tripped more than usual as he took steps forward, away from where Fili had lain. He felt tired, achy. His hand still clutched to his chest, and suddenly he felt the pain so much more than before.

It was after six steps that he had trampled over Snowthorn.

The sword was filthy with blood and gore, right down to the hilt. Kili didn't dare pick it up, having known what it felt like to be burned by the sword that was so fiercely loyal to Millie.

But- but if Millie was dead then it would not burn, would it?

Kili stumbled back from the sword, too _terrified _to even attempt it and too _terrified _to even wonder why it was _there _and _on the ground _and not in Millie's hand. Had she been left without a weapon, had she been _alone_ with only her hands to defend her?

It was two more steps until he found her.

He knew it was her, despite the fact that she was face down. Her hair was falling from it's braid and so matted with blood and dirt that Kili felt his stomach drop at her being so dirty and defiled. He dropped to his knees and, without really thinking, pushed her by her shoulder until she lay on her back.

He did cry then, a heaving, loud sob that racked his frame, his hands darting away from her.

There was an arrow in her abdomen, an Orcish arrow, for sure. It stuck out from a slither of skin, covered by the chain mail. The breastplate, of course, had not covered this crucial part of Millie, and the chain mail had not been strong enough to withstand the force of the metal arrowhead. Her eyes were closed and three small cuts reigned her cheeks. A trail of dry blood fell from her mouth, and tears soaked her cheeks. Still wet, he realized.

'...Millie?' He reached forward, touching her cheeks. She was cold, still. 'Millie?'

He couldn't see her chest rise and fall, there was no colour in her cheeks, there was no twitch of her familiar lips, nor the blinking of her eyes. She looked dead. So horrendously, horribly dead. The blood was a stark contrast with the absolute pale of her cheeks.

'_Millie'. _Her name tore through him like a blade, cutting at the rawness of his throat as tears spilled from his eyes, leaving trails through the blood and the dirt.

She was dead. She had gone with Thorin to somewhere where Kili could not follow. His Millie, his fire and his spirit and something so purely _good _and _innocent - _gone. She had only seen the bad of Middle Earth, a place so new to her, how could it be fair that she could leave now? He hadn't shown her the Blue Mountains, Dwarven feasts, his mother-

'Oh, lad'.

He did not look away from Millie. He could only see her face, dead and blank. Gone. So entirely gone. Thorin and Millie. How many others had left without a goodbye?

'Oin-'

It was Bofur's voice that spoke, and Oin's hand that shoved Kili so roughly out of the way. He stumbled from his knees onto his feet, growling and going to push Gloin away from Millie because he was _touching her _and he might _hurt her. _

It didn't even register to him that his friends were alive.

'No'. It was Bofur who spoke, holding firmly onto Kili's shoulder to ensure that he would not move. 'Let Oin do his work'. Kili looked to Bofur, who was dirty, held his arm at an awkward angle and had a split lip, and let out a sharp, dreadful sound of complete despair. 'I know, lad. I know'. And with that, Bofur squeezed his shoulder.

Oin was equally as awful looking as everyone else that Kili had seen. The way he held himself suggested an injured ankle, but he appeared to be ignoring the injury pointedly. Instead, Kili watched as he drew a hand over Millie's neck - pale, stiff - and, quickly, ordered,

'Give me a piece of fabric. The cleanest you can'.

He sounded desperate, urgent. Kili's heart leapt in his chest, his mouth opened in a comment of hope, of question. Bofur chucked Oin a dingy, crinkled flannel from the depths of his coat and armor-

'She's not dead,' said Oin, grappling at the cloth and hand surrounding the tip of the arrow. 'Not yet. If this arrow went an inch deeper, I wouldn't be saying that. Bofur, call over a Healer and a stretcher. I'm going to have to get started on this here and now if we want her to survive'.

Kili near sobbed once again. He fell to his knees, crawling up beside Millie and just _staring _at her. All in one moment it had all changed, every doubt and every curse. _Let her live._

'We're going to have to take this arrow out'.

And he did, with a twisting, sharp pulling motion straight upward. Immediately, blood gushed like water from the puncture in Millie's abdomen, and Kili clenched his fist and started forward. Oin held the fabric in his dirty hands and pressed it firmly onto Millie's stomach, and the already tinged cloth began to turn a startling shade of scarlet.

And Millie's eyes flew open with a drawn out, heaving gasp.

* * *

The Elves are pressing clean cloth to Millie's bleeding wound and holding down her arms as she sobs and scratches. They say there might have been poison in the arrow, and that just makes the situations so, _so _much worse. They say that she is in so much pain, that it is the pain itself that might kill her, before the blood loss can even begin to take effect. They are blunt, these Elves, and Kili appreciates that.

But still, he lingers by the side of the stretcher as they carry her, and he can _feel _the colour drain from his face and the utter horror of Bofur as they watch Millie Fournier _weep _with pain and death. Because she is fading, and they just need to save her. So, they hurry toward the tents, eyes staying ahead and never straying to the dead.

When they make their way over to the tent of healing, Kili sees Thorin with his eyes open and his mouth drawn into a long, painful grimace. He is where Kili left him, hand out toward the figure in front of him and, _Mahal, _he had not been dead when Kili had left him.

And he knows from the tears that spill down Bilbo's cheeks that his Uncle is dying.

He staggers over the company that surround his Uncle, some already bandaged, some not. Aside from Millie and Fili, they are all here, including Gandalf. They are grim, they are grey looking. A Healer hangs back and Kili knows that it is too late for Thorin Oakenshield.

And then he is feeling the loss of his Uncle all over again and, with one glance, he is leaving Millie's side. _Only this once, _he promises himself.

'-There is more good in you than you know, Bilbo Baggins,' said his Uncle, voice hitching and eyes sparkling. 'More good than I knew'. He breathes in deeply then, light eyes looking up the sky and he then he looks, finally, to Kili. The rest of the company do too, and Kili can _see _them nod a little, noting that yet another member is alive.

'Your brother?' Thorin inquires, voice loosing it's life and, Durin, Kili knows that there is not long. He only nods. 'Millie?' Kili falters, for a moment, but nods once again.

Thorin takes in a shuddering breath and the Healer starts forward, but is stopped by Thorin's quick growl. Kili has never admired his Uncle more than he does in that moment, because his Uncle knows that he is dying, and his facing it and he is welcoming it. He can't move, Kili realizes, watching the blood trickle from the drying, yellowish wounds that seeps through his clothing.

'The Line of Durin has not been broken,' Thorin clarifies. He his going, fading. Soon he will be gone - Kili watches the muscles relax, the eyes flutter, the chest barely rise and fall. It had been, perhaps, why he had thought his Uncle dead. He was so used to seeing Thorin with _life _in him, not like this. Not so still and so hurt.

'No, Uncle,' Kili clarified, and there are tears in the companies eyes, glistening and shining because _never _did they consider that their King would die here, just when they had found their home. And it is so _unfair. _So wrong for this to happen to Thorin, who had only ever wanted to see Erebor as it _should be. __  
_

'Good'.

And Thorin Oakenshield died with a sense of relief in him, a ghost of a smile in his minds eye. Kili likes to believe so, anyway. He likes to believe a lot of things about his Uncle, to only cover up for the fact that, had he stayed a little longer and felt for the heartbeat of Thorin Oakenshield, his Uncle might not have died at all.

* * *

**Sometimes I don't like it when stories change POV, but I had to do it in this sense. It just felt right, you know? **

**Thank you for the ever-so-slightly abusive reviews that involved burning down my house with lemons etc. They made me laugh and admire your creativity, guys. Cheers. **


	41. Heal

I don't hear the words around me. I don't feel fingers against my skin, gentle and healing. I do not grab at the familiar familiar faces that swarm around me in the odd moments where my eyes open to the pain, confused and scared and just wanting _help. _Because that is all I had felt: the pain. The blinding, mind numbing pain that had screeched throughout my entire body.

The fact that I fell into an unconsciousness is a blessing. I think so, at least.

I do not remember what was happening in reality, but I do remember what happened in my mind. The hallucinations were weaker, greyer. I could feel every ounce of my energy and life fading away with each flash of pain, each recollection and realization that I was still _alive. _

But was I? Well, maybe I was. There was no sense of time or pattern in what I saw, but I know for a fact that, in the haze of my injury I had, for a short moment, died.

So, I like to think that in my moments of death, the faces of my family were a little real.

_Those _are the fingers that I had felt graze my cheeks, the whispers in my ear as their breath tickled my neck - they had felt real, far more real than those who had tried so desperately to save me in reality.

But reality had seemed an awful, uninviting idea. I didn't want to seek out the dead faces of those who I had lost - _Thorin, Thorin, Thorin - _nor did I want to look away from the smiling, sad faces of my mother and my father. It was in this small moment that I thought I might be dead, in which my voice spoke volumes in the grey and the unfocused.

'You're not here. You don't exist here. You're _dead_,' I had said to my parents, not really looking through my own eyes at my mother. She hadn't moved, hadn't blinked. Her face, blurred around the edges, had crumpled into a soft look. She was home, she was mine - my mum, my mother, _ma mère._

She had looked sad. I never told anyone about the depths of my dreams, aside from Kili and two other people. Even then, I had waited until I told him, until I explained how sad and how real my mother had looked, despite that soft, blurred look about her. I know that she wasn't real. I know that she, in this world, does not even exist._  
_

But it had felt so real, so personal.

And then I had breathed in for the first time in a long time, feeling my own fingers contract as the pain seeped back into my system. A feeling had found me, a complete realization of what was what happening. '_I'm_ dead,' I had said, terrified, and my dads mouth had opened.

'Not quite'. He had smiled (my dad, my father, _mon père_) with lines crinkling at the side of his eyes, and then I was gone.

* * *

I had wanted to just stop hurting. I remember that much. But it was a dull pain, as if I knew it was there but I didn't quite know what it was or where it was, you know? It had felt like when your alarm is going off, but you feel like you're dreaming the sound. Like that. Not real, but there.

Then again, that reflected my entire existence in Middle Earth.

I remember something from my dreams, aside from my parents, but I can't tell you exactly what had happened. Somehow, I don't think that I am _supposed _to remember what happened. That may sound stupid, but it just feels kinda...right. That I don't remember, I mean. All I remember is this feeling - this _knowing - _that I had done the right thing. No matter what, I had made the right decision.

And I had known that even though I was almost dead, Kili and Fili were not.

Because I had known that they were not dead, and I do not know how that can be. I also know that they weren't really supposed to survive, not really. And the idea that I, an average girl, had saved the lives of two people - well, that's something to be quite proud of.

There is a twisting moment in my broken thoughts in which my death turns into living. In which my wandering mind comes back to reality; comes home.

I hurt and I ache, but this is something to latch onto, something to pull me from the hazy daze of sleepy death. I continue to scramble at the pain, loud breathing echoing through my ears as awake become reality, as whimpering becomes my source of clarification that _I am alive. _My head rushes as the sense of consciousness is hurled back toward me, loud and fast like blood rushing through my ears.

And then, with a final gasp, I was _seeing_.

My hand had flown to grapple at the thick bandages that had covered my stomach and, to my horror, they had felt wet with what I knew to be blood. I had moaned and fallen onto my back yet again, feeling sweaty and hot and dizzy all at the same time. I could hardly move, hardly think.

'...Millie?'

I breathed in sharply, letting him know that I could hear him, but that I could not speak. I was overwhelmed by how much it had hurt, so much more than before. My eyes had been wide as I had stared up at the white blur ahead of me. Things were so much more real now that I was not seeing grey and lost faces. I could hear, I could see, I could _feel._

The arrow. The Orcs. Thorin.

I fisted the sheets and gritted my teeth, eyes flying to the face that quickly loomed over mine. Him. He was alive. He was filthy and blood and shouting something at me, but he was alive.

'Stop moving, Millie! You're going to rip open your stitches!'

With this admonishment creeping into my mind, I had stilled and fell against the bundles of covers and quilts that I was surrounded by. My jaw shook with the whines that I had tried to keep in, but I had only stared at him, seeing how his face blurred, fell, started.

And I was gone again.

* * *

I am Alexandria Millicent Fournier, and I am going to live.

* * *

For them.

* * *

For him.

* * *

There was nothing to see in that space of unconsciousness, only the feeling of a restless sleep. I suppose that's because I wasn't really sleeping, I had more or less passed out because of the pain and the Middle Earth equivalent of sleeping pills.

But still, I had held tightly onto that rope that would pull be back to awake-land.

I didn't want to let go of it again. Just in case.

* * *

I am writing this to portray how I had felt at that time. That is what this has been: a story of my feelings and experiences so that it is here, a complete recollection of those days. Because I want to remember when I am too old to do so.

The next time I woke up, I knew that days had passed. I was in a stone room this time, and the pain was so much less. I couldn't tell whether it was day or night, but I did know that we were in Erebor. That much, at least, I had known.

And when I say 'we', I mean myself and Fili.

He was lying on the cot near me, staring straight back at me with one blue eye, the other covered up with a bandage. I had felt like I was going to say something, but instead a cough/sob had broken it's way through my system and out of my mouth. I did not move, because the moment I shifted my hips I felt the slight tug in my abdomen that suggested stitches.

_'Stop moving, Millie! You're going to rip open your stitches!'_

'I thought you were going to die,' said Fili. 'They said that you _did _die'. I remember being so relieved that I was able to comprehend what was happening to me, unlike the last time I had awoken. I had felt drugged and, possibly, I had been. Something to keep me asleep, to keep me out of pain. 'Thorin's dead,' he added, very plainly. I was glad for that.

I swallowed and nodded through the tears. 'I know. I...saw'. I sounded raspy, weak. I looked to the bandage that went across his head and over one of his eyes, but said nothing. I needed time to wake up, to clear my head, to understand what was happening. The fact that I was no longer so dopey suggested that I hadn't been given anything to numb the pain or make me fall asleep.

'We thought you were going to die,' he said yet again. 'I found you and stood near you, but got driven down by three Orcs. You looked dead, Millie. I thought you _were _dead until Kili told me when I woke up. I- I remember Thorin-' His voice broke sharply, and had it not been for my own injury, I would have joined him in that cot.

There was a scuffle and I turned my head, wincing as my body shifted and the stitches tugged. I could feel it beginning to sting more and more with my movements. I felt as if I hadn't moved a muscle in days, probably because I had not. Not since I had fallen. When that arrow had ripped into my stomach and the face of Bilbo had swam in front of me-

_Don't think about it. Not yet. Heal._

I winced and opened my eyes to see Kili kneeling in front of me.

'Millie. _Millie_-'

I had known that he was alive, but to see him in front of me was something so different and so _amazing _that, in a split second, I forgot about my pain and reached up to grab at his cheek. Solid. Real. There.

'I blacked out for a second, I'm sorry,' I apologized quickly, blinking and wishing away the tugging pain and the rushing sound in my ears. I had felt dizzy. 'I'm so glad you're both alive. I'm _so-' _my voice broke and my hand shook. My face was beginning to sting, along with every other part of me. I could only guess that I had cuts there, too. Tiny little nicks all over my body.

I couldn't bring myself to look.

Kili had peered at my face, and I had seen that his was cut up and bruised too. 'The medicine is wearing off. You're in pain,' he pointed out, worried and frantic. 'I'll go and get Oin. Fili, how are you-'

Fili spoke up, and his voice had sounded dull. 'I can't feel anything. I'm _fine, _Kili'.

That had me alarmed. 'What's wrong with Fili? Where is everyone else? How many are okay?' I tried to sit up, to see what was wrong with Fili. Quickly, Kili had pushed me down with two hands, one of which was heavily bandaged. Apparently he had forgotten this, because he had grimaced heavily. Ignoring the biting at my abdomen, I'd looked to him, not wanting him to know that I _hurt._

'What's wrong with _you _too?'

There was a pause in which Kili glanced over his shoulder to his injured brother. Of course Fili would be heavily injured, why else would he be in bed? Had I assumed that the bandage on his head was only a small injury?

'I took an arrow to the hand and Fili...' Kili had trailed off and looked back to me. 'Fili-'

'Blind,' cut in the eldest brother. 'I can no longer see out of one of my eyes...an _Orc_ struck me when I wasn't looking. There'll be calling me Fili, the One Eyed King - just you wait'. As my eyes had widened, Kili had turned roughly and bitten out something in Dwarvish with an angry look on his face. Fili had merely turned his head away and stayed silent.

I had said nothing. I hadn't known what to say.

There was a small silence in which Kili looked to me, looking all over my face as if he would never see it again. I understood, of course. I thought I was going to die the last time I saw him.

'How close was I?' I asked him, too frightened of Fili's reaction if I questioned his eye. I couldn't imagine losing my sight like that. And it had happened to Fili, of all people. Fili the _King._

Kili knelt back on his feet and blinked slowly. 'When I found you, you had an arrow sticking out of your stomach that was smothered in poison. He was near you,' Kili jutted his head back toward his brother. 'Protecting your body. You were _screaming-'_

I shut my eyes. 'I thought I was as good as dead. I could _feel _it, even when I wasn't awake'. We spoke quietly, not wanting to disturb Fili, but wanting to just talk, to envelope ourselves in the fact that we were _alive. _

Kili stayed silent. 'Ori gave me your letter two days ago'.

God. The letter. I'd completely forgotten about that piece of parchment. It had seemed like an age ago, when I had been sitting beside Ori and telling him what to write, when the prospect of death had been a _maybe_. But I had at least now known that Ori was alive, and that I had been out for two or more days.

I'd missed so much.

'I just wanted to be sure,' I murmured, trying to desperately, to ignore the prickling pain and the tight feeling around my stomach. 'I didn't want to go without knowing that I _would_ have some way to tell you-'

I was cut off, like so many times before, by his lips on mine. They were gentle, hardly there at all, but they had felt like something I had needed for so long, but had only realized now. With Kili with me, touching me, I knew that I had succeeded in something amazing. That in all of the horror of the days to come, he woul be there beside me, and I would be there for him.

He pulled away, breath ghosting my mouth, and said, 'Don't _ever_ do that to me again'.

I could only nod but, after a small pause, a inquired in a very small voice, 'I don't suppose I could get that medicine now?'

* * *

Another day later, I was permitted to stand.

Fili watches from his cot as Oin and Kili linger beside me, the only Dwarves who I had seen so far. I could hear voices pass the door sometimes, but it had all felt so surreal. A day ago I had woken up to find out we had won the battle, that Thorin was dead and Fili was King, and that I had, somehow, survived.

Kili and Oin had held my arms, balancing me and ensuring that I did not topple over. I had ached from bruises and cuts and from lying down for days after such exertion. A loose, white shirt fluttered around my bandages, while equally loose beige trousers clung at my thinner hips. I was able to peek at the cuts and bruises all over my arms.

I didn't let them upset me. They were there because I had survived - that's what Kii told me, anyway.

'You're a healer you are, lass,' Oin had told me, allowing me to lean on him. He looked as cut up as the rest, except more tired. Kili had told me that he was one of the few with knowledge of Healing, so he was helping out as much as he could. 'A few days ago you were as white as bone, and now you're walking! Magnificent'.

'I don't think I can walk much longer,' I gasped, nearly toppling over as I had taken a stupid, daring step. I had been practically _thrown _back onto the cot

I had peered at my wound when Oin had changed the bandages that morning. Although I had become used to the dull thud of pain, when the bandages had come off, it had _hurt. _The dried blood had cracked away - ugh, just thinking about it makes me cringe. I won't go into too much detail, but considering that the wound had been _poisoned..._well, there had been some interesting stuff seeping out of it.

I was told that Fili and I had been put in a separate, isolated room because he was the King, and I was the Prince Kili's betrothed. I was, in some ways, very grateful for this. I couldn't stand the idea of facing people now - of seeing the injured, the fallen, to hurt and the crying. Kili would sit with Fili and I, gazing at us like he couldn't quite believe we were there, despite Oin's reminders that he should be acting his royal part where his brother could not.

Kili would refuse point blank, his retorts becoming snappier every time Oin had said something. I was half surprised that he had not been taken away by Dwalin - _They can fight!' he shouted. 'You'll get yourself killed, khuzd! Fight here, stay away and I will protect-'_

_Don't think about it. Not now, not yet._

We never once mentioned Thorin. _He was raising his sword arm, just as Bolg raised his. He was a King, then. Defender, Warrior, King._

**STOP.**

Breathe. I sometimes thought that it was because of Fili, and how sensitive he was to be taking the place that his Uncle had longed for. I could see Kili looking at him sometimes while Fili slept, considering that the youngest brother would fall asleep on the chair that had been brought into the room. He didn't like to leave us very often.

I was worried, though. Worried about what I would see when I finally ventured out into the halls of Erebor once again. Kili and Oin always looked troubled when they came back in, and I could only imagine how many injured there were, how many sick and dying and homeless.

We hadn't even had time to mourn yet - I had hardly faced the harsh reality of what had happened.

* * *

**I'M SORRY I AM I'M SO SHITTY WITH UPDATING CHAPTERS LIKE THIS I'M SORRY.**

**But hey, I'm Greece. Thanks for the reviews and follows! **


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